Earthmoving for the extraterrestrial

Abstract

The United States spaceport, and more importantly, its technical landscape, operate in the background for the technological and political progress in pursuit of the extraterrestrial. Throughout the construction of the launch complexes on the Florida coastline, earthmoving became standard practice to elevate rocket pads above sea level and protect against rocket blasts. However, a more extended history of earthmoving at Cape Canaveral is necessary. From Earth’s early geological formations and indigenous burial mounds to the modernization of rockets, Cape Canaveral presents itself as an evolution of terrestrial form. And still, earthmoving continues today. In 2016, an article advised the greatest threats to NASA's landscape are rising sea levels and hurricanes, causing substantial erosion to the beach, leaving active and historically significant launch facilities at risk. Cape Canaveral beaches are now preparing for additional dredging, importing new soil, and raising beach and dune elevations. This article reveals a critical history of place-based science on Cape Canaveral through an evolution of earthmoving practices, from cultural commemoration, extraterrestrial imagination, and contemporary environmental crises.