Sands Space History Center The Sands Space History Center (formerly known as the United States Air Force Space and Missile History Center) is an extension of the Air Force Space and Missile Museum outside the gate 1 of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station which opened to the public August 14, 2010. It is located in a facility and highlights the progress and history of the space program. The museum features displays which chronicle the story of each of the launch pads from its establishment in 1949 as the
Joint Long Range Proving Ground. Exhibits contain artifacts dating back to the 1950s and include parts to launch vehicles and control systems. The museum reopened the Center on 17 June 2025 after a renovation. This followed a significant financial donation by
Jared Isaacman a year prior.
Hangar C During the museum's early history, many of the museum's missiles were on display in an outdoor area known as the "Rocket Garden". Over the years, the central Florida heat, humidity, and ocean air gradually degraded the outward appearance and internal structure of most of the exhibits. The missiles were removed from outdoor display and restored. They were then placed in storage until a suitable display area could be found. Eventually, historic Hangar C was secured as the future public display area. The oldest hangar on the Cape (Hangars A and B were built on Patrick Space Force Base), for a time served as a central missile assembly facility for nearly all Cape launch activity. Once it was determined that Hangar C would serve as a central display area for much of the museum's large artifacts, it underwent extensive renovation to make it suitable for public access. In early 2020 public tours conducted by the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex began making stops at Hangar C as part of the newly introduced "Rise to Space" tour (separate and distinct from the "Early Space" tour). A
Navaho missile from the collection was placed back on display at the south gate of the station in 2021.
Rupert the Space Armadillo The official mascot of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum is Rupert the Space Armadillo. On August 1,2025, Rupert was launched into space with Crew 11 for a stay at the International Space Station. After orbiting the Earth 2,672 times and traveling 71 millions miles, he successfully splashed down with his crew mates on January 15, 2026. ==Gallery==