Florida's Space Coast

Florida's Space Coast and its explosion into the 20th century thrust these beach towns into the modern age and paved the way for America's space exploration.
Florida's Space Coast is an area that got its name from one of the most exciting times in United States history. Settlers were living in Brevard County as far back as the 1800s, and even after World War II, it was still a quiet place to live. Cities and beach towns along 74 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline were thrust into the modern age in the early 1950s, when rockets began lighting up the skies above them. The space race had begun, the nation would set a path to put men on the moon, and Florida would become the backdrop for this thrilling chapter of American history. The area's population surged with over 200,000 new residents, and things would never be the same. It was a time when people risked their lives for space exploration, and a community came together to make it happen.

Wade Arnold is a photojournalist and author living in Florida's Space Coast. He writes a column for Florida Today that reaches 80,000 people weekly and is a member of the Florida Historical Society. Through his column, published articles, and photographs, he has developed a love of history and for the community where he lives. Images of America: Florida's Space Coast is his second book with Arcadia Publishing.