Why was Houston chosen as the site for NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center in 1961?
23 potential locales were in the running!
Because LBJ was Vice-President and JFK put NASA in his hands.
1 Like
The criteria NASA established for the new center made Houston a natural choice: barge transportation in ice-free waters; a mild climate; all-weather commercial jet service; a nearby Department of Defense air base; a nearby university; at least 1,000 acres of land; and property that could be acquired at a reasonable cost. Tampa emerged as the leading candidate among twenty-three potential sites, but Texas politicians persuaded NASA to go with Houston.
And Sam Rayburn was speaker of the house.
Humble Oil company donated the land to Rice in order to have it transferred to NASA.
Tampa fell off the list because the air force decided not to close MacDill, which is now the HQ for Centcom and SOC.
you would think the bi-annual hurricanes would have knocked houston off. any hurricane season launches are subject to shut down if a hurricane come thru houston and the command center.
Florida is basically a big middle finger to hurricanes.
yes but where nasa launches is because of the location and ability to easily recover rockets in the atlantic after takeoff, a command center can be anywhere.
Thats why SpaceX chose Boca Chica although and storm surge would wipe it clean