Outer space has always intrigued the human mind. Since humans have inhabited the Earth, they have always looked to the sky. Ptolemy, who lived more than two thousand years ago, dreamed of being with the stars. He said, “I know that I am mortal by nature and ephemeral; but when I trace the sinuous comings and goings of the celestial bodies at my pleasure, I no longer touch the earth with my feet: I am in the presence of Zeus himself and I am satisfied with ambrosia” (Tyson). At that time, reaching the “final frontier” was not even remotely possible. Even in the late 19th century, few people believed such a feat was possible, yet, just half a century later, the first man was launched into space (Irvine 5). How did the human race manage to go from simply dreaming of space to actually launching humans into space in such a short time? Surprisingly, the US space program began with the Cold War. The Cold War pushed the United States and the Soviet Union into a space race in which both nations rapidly developed space programs and sought to outdo each other in space exploration (Cold War 1). The Kennedy Space Center was built in Florida as a control center that handled many of the shuttle launches into space (NASA 1). The Space Center was built in Florida for many specific reasons, including climate and location (Matson 1). The rapid development of the space program and the Kennedy Space Center has significantly changed the development of the surrounding communities in a variety of ways. The development of NASA and the Space Center was undoubtedly one of the most ambitious and influential undertakings of its time. The history behind the rapid development of the space program has always been a bit confusing and is unknown to most... middle of paper......History Center. 1991. February 15, 2010 "Reading Eagle". JFK cites the red menace: declares that Russia will lead the space race for some time April 13, 1961: 1. The life of Konstantin Eduardovitch Tsiolkovsky. February 15, 2010. Time Travel Research Center. Nazi V-2/A-4 missile technology. 2005. February 15, 2010. Tyson, Neil deGrasse. The perimeter of ignorance. November 2005. February 15, 2010 .US National Park Service - Live your America. February 15, 2010. We choose to go to the Moon. By John Kennedy. Rice University, Houston. September 12th 1962.