Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral, promontory, eastern Florida, on a barrier island, occupied on the cape area and a part of nearby Merritt Island by a space center operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The center is called the John F. Kennedy Space Center and is the principal United States launching site for earth satellites and space flights. Patrick Air Force Base is nearby. Neighboring communities have experienced great industrial expansion and population growth caused largely by the space center. The area also attracts many tourists. From 1963 to 1973 the cape was known as Cape Kennedy in honor of President John F. Kennedy (1961-63).