Preserving space history at Cape Canaveral.

Summary

Preserving Space History at Cape Canaveral

Podcast: T-Minus Space Daily
Host: Maria Varmazes
Guest: Jamie Draper, Director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum
Release Date: February 17, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of T-Minus Space Daily, host Maria Varmazes delves into the efforts of preserving space history at Cape Canaveral with Jamie Draper, the Director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. Draper shares his journey into the world of space history, the museum's evolution, its unique challenges, and exciting future projects funded by a significant donation from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman.

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Jamie Draper's Journey and Role

Jamie Draper begins by introducing himself and his role as the director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. He highlights the museum's long-standing history, which predates the establishment of the Space Force by over five decades.

Jamie Draper [01:32]: "Our space military operations are over 75 years old. I’m a 25-plus year museum professional with a master's in historical administration. No aerospace background before I took this job about five years ago."

Draper reflects on his transition from working with presidential museums to leading a space-focused institution, emphasizing his passion for history and continuous learning in the dynamic field of space exploration.

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Evolution and Significance of the Museum

The Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, originally opened in 1966 as the Air Force Space Museum, has undergone several transformations to align with the evolving landscape of space exploration and defense.

Jamie Draper [05:21]: "We opened in 1966 as the Air Force Space Museum. It evolved into the Air Force Space and Missile Museum and later transitioned to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum to keep up with the times."

Located at Launch Complex 26, the museum boasts a vast "rocket garden" featuring 50 rockets and missiles, making it one of Florida’s largest attractions with up to 1.5 million visitors annually in its prime.

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Unique Challenges of Operating a Military Spaceport Museum

Operating within an active military spaceport presents unique challenges, primarily related to security and accessibility. Draper explains the complexity of managing a museum that is intertwined with classified military operations.

Jamie Draper [06:18]: "We are Department of Defense. A lot of the activities on the Cape were classified, so we weren't advertising missile testings. This makes sharing our history with the public quite challenging."

Despite these constraints, the museum has managed to maintain 30 historic launch complexes, offering a rare glimpse into the spaceport's rich history. The Sans Space History Center stands out as the primary public-facing facility, providing free admission and hosting numerous educational programs.

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Highlighting the Museum’s Unique Offerings

One of the museum’s standout features is its ability to allow visitors to stand on historic launch sites. Draper emphasizes the unparalleled experience of connecting physically with significant moments in space history.

Jamie Draper [10:22]: "What sets us apart is that you can stand on the spot where Alan Shepard launched into space in May 1961—the very site that marked America’s entry into the space age."

The museum not only showcases artifacts like the Snark missile but also preserves the actual launch complexes, offering a tangible connection to the past that few other museums can provide.

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Engaging the Public and Expanding Outreach

Draper discusses the museum’s efforts to attract a diverse audience, including those who may not be traditional space enthusiasts. By offering interactive and visually captivating exhibits, the museum aims to inspire visitors of all ages.

Jamie Draper [14:18]: "Anyone can get into space history. When you see a rocket launch up close, it's hard not to be awed, regardless of your prior interest in space."

The introduction of Rupert the Space Armadillo, a beloved stuffed mascot, exemplifies the museum’s approach to making space history accessible and engaging for families and children.

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Recent Funding and Future Projects

A significant highlight of the episode is the announcement of a major funding infusion from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, facilitated through the US Space Force Historical Foundation. This donation will support various museum projects, including exhibit enhancements and artifact preservation.

Jamie Draper [16:21]: "Jared Isaacman’s donation is dedicated to museum-specific projects like exhibits and artifact restorations. We have exciting plans to upgrade the Sans Space History Center and introduce new exhibits focused on women aerospace pioneers and bioflights."

Plans include the restoration of deteriorating rockets and missiles from the outdoor rocket garden, ensuring these historical artifacts are preserved for future generations.

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The Story of Rupert the Space Armadillo

Adding a touch of whimsy, Draper introduces Rupert, the museum’s stuffed armadillo mascot. Initially a gift from a volunteer, Rupert has become a beloved figure among visitors and staff alike.

Jamie Draper [19:54]: "Rupert was gifted to me by one of our great volunteers. We named him Rupert the Space Armadillo to give him a story and make him a part of our museum family."

Rupert symbolizes the museum’s mission to blend history with approachable and relatable elements, fostering a welcoming environment for all visitors.

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Conclusion

Jamie Draper’s insights reveal the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum as a pivotal institution in preserving and showcasing the United States’ rich space history. Through dedicated preservation efforts, engaging exhibits, and community outreach, the museum continues to inspire and educate the public about the monumental achievements and legacy of Cape Canaveral.

Jamie Draper [23:31]: "I never would have envisioned a rocket garden and a space armadillo, but life throws you some really cool curveballs."

As the museum looks forward to future projects and increased public engagement, it remains a unique and invaluable repository of space history, inviting everyone to explore and appreciate the legacy of Cape Canaveral.

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Key Quotes

• Jamie Draper [01:32]: "Our space military operations are over 75 years old."
• Jamie Draper [05:21]: "What sets us apart is that you can stand on the spot where Alan Shepard launched into space in May 1961."
• Jamie Draper [14:18]: "Anyone can get into space history."
• Jamie Draper [16:21]: "Jared Isaacman’s donation is dedicated to museum-specific projects like exhibits and artifact restorations."
• Jamie Draper [19:54]: "Rupert was gifted to me by one of our great volunteers."
• Jamie Draper [23:31]: "I never would have envisioned a rocket garden and a space armadillo, but life throws you some really cool curveballs."

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About the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum

The Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, part of the Air Force Heritage Program, serves as a guardian of the United States' space and missile heritage. With over 30 historic launch complexes and a vast collection of rockets and missiles, the museum offers a comprehensive look into the country’s journey into space. Through exhibits, educational programs, and community events, the museum strives to inspire future generations and honor the pioneers of space exploration.

For more information, visit https://space.n2k.com.

Transcript

[Maria Varmazes]

You're listening to the N2K space network.

[James Draper]

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[Maria Varmazes]

Cape Canaveral has long been the gateway to space in the United States. It's the location of the early human space flights, and it continues to be the most active spaceport in the world. What's been done to preserve the space history at the site? Well, we're about to find out. Welcome to t deep space from n2k networks. I'm Maria Varmazes. James Draper is the director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. He walks us through how he became a space nerd when he joined the museum and learned about the incredible history on the Space Coast.

[Jamie Draper]

My name is Jamie Draper and I am honored to serve as the director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. It is a unique entity that's been around for a lot longer than people would think. And one of the big questions is, why is there a Space Force Museum when Space Force is only five years old?

[Maria Varmazes]

Right. Yep.

[Jamie Draper]

Well, our space military operations are over 75 years old old. So just to give you a little background about myself, I'm a 25 plus year museum professional with a master's in historical administration. No aerospace background before I took this job about five years ago. So I'm still a student, still a novice, still learning it all.

[Maria Varmazes]

Yeah.

[Jamie Draper]

So it's super exciting. We're in this new space age and I just can't get enough of it. But with the. So I worked presidential museums with National Archives before I accepted this position. And fun thing about this is I accepted this position as a director of an Air Force Space museum. And that was August of 2019, I believe.

[Maria Varmazes]

Oh, that timing's auspicious. There you go.

[Jamie Draper]

So a few months later, Space Force is created. And they said, you're reassigned to Space Force. Not even on my radar. Right. What is going on? So I'm Space Force Museum director now, and it's been a wild roller coaster ever since. Yeah, really exciting. All kinds of big developments. Space is huge, space is hot, and space is hard, which is something our CSO pushed out several times. And the museum side of space is difficult as well, because I'll go over some of the challenges as we talk.

[Maria Varmazes]

Sure.

[Jamie Draper]

Let me give you a little bit of a background on the museum itself.

[Maria Varmazes]

Okay. I was gonna ask you first, before you get into that, were you a space nerd before you took this job? Sorry? As a space nerd, I'm asking like you are now, obviously, but were you before you took this job?

[Jamie Draper]

Honestly, not really. I mean, as a kid, I had the space shuttle toys. We watched some space shuttle missions. I remember in the 80s coming down to Florida from Michigan, where. Where I was from, and watching a shuttle launch.

[Maria Varmazes]

Oh, you lucky duck. I'm sorry. I was like, fellow 80s kid. Like, I am so jelly.

[Jamie Draper]

That was cool. I mean, I could. I could picture it today. The big plume of smoke from those solid rocket boosters.

[Maria Varmazes]

So you've got proper space credentials from Charleston. I'm just saying. Because I didn't do any of that. I'm saying.

[Jamie Draper]

But it wasn't, you know, my education, my training, it was all material culture, preservation, interpretation, museum development, all of this stuff. Space wasn't even in that equation. But I'm a history geek to the core, and there's exceptional history around our space program.

[Maria Varmazes]

Oh, I would imagine. And I really want to visit your museum. So I'm just like. This is partly me just going like, I really want to go. Okay, so now tell me a bit about the museum. As someone who has never been genuinely. And really wants to go, tell me what I'm missing.

[Jamie Draper]

All right. Well, we opened in 1966. We'd been around for a while. So it opened as Air Force Space Museum. And it's evolved over time into the Air Force Space and Missile Museum. And then a few years ago, we upgraded the name or transitioned the name to keep up with the times and the installation to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. But it's a very unique entity. It started at Launch Complex 26, which is where America entered the space age. And it grew into this big rocket garden with 50 rockets and missiles on display, was one of Florida's largest attractions. We're talking a million and a half visitors a year.

[Maria Varmazes]

Really?

[Jamie Draper]

It was huge at the time.

[Maria Varmazes]

Before that Mickey guy.

[Jamie Draper]

Yeah, well, yeah. And before Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which at that time was three rockets and two trailers. And they've grown into this amazing attraction. And we've become a little more sequestered into this hidden gem on the space.

[Maria Varmazes]

We're going to change that.

[Jamie Draper]

We're working on that. We're Trying to get a little less hidden. But right now we are about 30 facilities on the Cape. And it's surprising. Everybody's shocked, like, how do you exist and we don't know about it.

[Maria Varmazes]

Yeah, I am. Literally my question in my head.

[Jamie Draper]

It's mainly because the NASA side had all of these great astronaut missions. They started on the Cape side, but transitioned to Kennedy Space Center. And they marketed, they advertised, and they had to because they struggle for every appropriated dollar.

[Maria Varmazes]

Right?

[James Draper]

Yep.

[Jamie Draper]

We are Department of Defense, DoD. A lot of the things that were going on on the Cape were what we call Secret Squirrel things, you know, can't talk about it, classified, little hush, hush. They weren't advertising all these missile testings that they were doing. And it all started as a missile test facility and morphed into the world's premier gateway to space over time. So we've got all of these facilities on an active military spaceport. And it's maddening from a museum side because as a museum professional, my goal is to share this history with everyone and anyone. But we've got these security perimeters, with one exception of a facility that we have outside the gates. And that's the Sans Space History Center. So that's the one people can go to six days a week, free admission history on all 30 historic launch complexes. We host a ton of programming there, special events. And then as far as accessing the rest of the sites, right now it's commercial tours through Canaveral Tours. And there's another tour operator that's going to start soon. Our mission, through our nonprofit foundation and other partners, is to get our own tour program going up and running to bring people out to these sites. So it's a very complicated museum operation, I was going to say, but it's so cool.

[Maria Varmazes]

I was gonna say, from what I understand. Okay, you said there's 30 locations, so I'm my understanding is very nebulous. So forgive me, but, like, you all are located like right next to a launch pad. Like, like right, right there at one point. Like, there's one, at least one building that's like right there. Okay. That's sort of what I've been told.

[Jamie Draper]

Some of them are launch pads. Some of the facilities.

[Maria Varmazes]

Okay, yeah.

[Jamie Draper]

So, you know, 30 historic launch complexes on the Cape. A lot of them are abandoned in place as programs ended and other programs surfaced elsewhere. So we actually occupy several abandoned launch complexes. One facility is Hangar C, which is a missile assembly building from 1953. We've got 30 rockets and missiles in there. So when I say 30 facilities. There's probably four or five that are, that include interpretation, exhibits, displays, static elements, and then the rest are more storage or more just what we call windshield touring if you have cape access.

[Maria Varmazes]

Okay.

[Jamie Draper]

You go out there, we drive out. Like you see the history. It's our built environment. The structures are artifacts themselves. So it's very unique.

[Maria Varmazes]

My goodness. Yeah, I was going to say it doesn't sound, and I mean this as a nice thing, doesn't sound like quite any museum I've heard of. Which is awesome, frankly, because given the history that you all are covering, it shouldn't be. It should be unique in that way. So usually for many museums there's like the crown jewels. What are yours?

[Jamie Draper]

That's tricky because we have asking you.

[Maria Varmazes]

To name your favorite kid. Right?

[Jamie Draper]

Yeah, yeah, I know every museum person gets that question. What's your favorite artifact? And for me, that changes depending on the type of research or programming we're working on. Fair enough.

[Maria Varmazes]

Yep.

[Jamie Draper]

So one, one day, it's our Snark missile. Which you gotta love the name Snark.

[Maria Varmazes]

Your what?

[Jamie Draper]

Snark missile.

[Maria Varmazes]

Okay.

[Jamie Draper]

It's legit. It's a Snark. It's our first intercontinental cruise missile.

[Maria Varmazes]

Okay, that's not so funny.

[Jamie Draper]

Beautiful. It's a beautiful rocket. Oh, it's not a rocket. It's jet powered. But the name, the name is great. It's marvelous and it's got a little whimsy behind it. Jack Northrup back in the day grew up on Lewis Carroll stories. Think Alice in Wonderland. Yeah, well, one of those was a nonsense poem called the Hunting of the Snark. And so the Snark was a name he extracted from his childhood and assigned to this nuclear tipped cruise missile.

[Maria Varmazes]

There's some dark humor there that you got to kind of love. All right, I'll give you that one. That's pretty great.

[Jamie Draper]

So that's one of my favorites. Some of my favorites are the facilities themselves. Like Launch Complex 56 is on our museum grounds. So you've got a blockhouse and two launch pads. And this dates back to the 50s. And from that site, Alan Shepard launched into space in May 1961. Our very first astronaut into space. You can go there and stand on the very spot where he went. Where we launched our first astronaut.

[Maria Varmazes]

Yeah.

[Jamie Draper]

So what sets us apart from a lot of space museums out There is that NC2 history. You can go to space museums all over the world, see amazing hardware, amazing personal effects, spacesuits, capsules. But we offer the only experience where you could stand on the spot. Walk in the footsteps of Dr. Wernher von Braun of astronaut John Glenn and just get inspired on this amazing space history. It all started out.

[Maria Varmazes]

We'll be right back.

[James Draper]

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[Maria Varmazes]

For someone who's not a space person and is going, well, we're going to be in Orlando, the area. Why should they come visit your museum?

[Jamie Draper]

Well, it's museums contend with this all the time. Because, you know, working presidential history for the longest time, you would have that one family member, the reluctant one who was, well, no, you had the one that was a super fan of presidential history, dragging the rest of the family to the site like, let's go to the, you know, the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum. And the others are like, oh, thanks Dad.

[Maria Varmazes]

I mean, I mean, not the stereotype.

[Jamie Draper]

But yeah, yeah, yeah. Sometimes it's just some little prodigy kid, but that's true. But with space, I think anyone could really get into it. Like I said, I wasn't really a space geek before I started, but I'm full bore now because when you're talking about the Cape in specific.

[Maria Varmazes]

Yeah.

[Jamie Draper]

This is the launch site. This is the world's premier gateway to space. So typically you're talking about a tube of metal filled with fuel riding a tail of fire into the heavens. I mean, you gotta appreciate the sheer awesomeness of that.

[Maria Varmazes]

Yeah.

[Jamie Draper]

Even if you're not a fan. So when you come to like the Sandspace History center, you see rocket engines, you see the capsules, the launch councils. These are the tangible, visceral connections to our space past. It's much more exciting, not to denigrate educational institutions, but much more exciting than the classroom where you're sitting there sifting through this generic textbook and it's all dependent on the level of passion from your teacher.

[Maria Varmazes]

Yeah.

[Jamie Draper]

And if you luck out, you get that great teacher, you get inspired, motivated.

[Maria Varmazes]

But if you get a teacher who doesn't really care about it, then if.

[Jamie Draper]

You get some lump, then you're like, oh, nuts to this.

[Maria Varmazes]

We've all been through that.

[Jamie Draper]

But museums offer that unique aspect where you connect with this three dimensional object that was somebody's space helmet, or trying to think of the periscope from the, the dome shaped houses that they watch the rocket on the pad through. I mean, there's so many cool pieces that's really neat. So you don't have to be a super fan. You'll get into it.

[Maria Varmazes]

Nonetheless, I was gonna say I'm about ready to like leap out of my chair and go right now. Although you didn't have to convince me. I already wanted to go. But I'm like, now I really want to go. So yes, I will see you later. Nice. So I want to ask you all got a big funding infusion from incoming NASA administrator Jared Isaacman.

[Jamie Draper]

Yes.

[Maria Varmazes]

Yeah, tell me about that. That's pretty exciting.

[Jamie Draper]

Sure, sure. So our museum is technically a federal museum, a part of space launch Delta 45 and US Space Force part of the Air Force Heritage Program. So that's the federal side. And technically I'm a federal employee with all of that. But we have this not private nonprofit foundation and a lot of federal museums have this nonprofit side. And for us it's the US Space Force Historical foundation and they've been supporting us. They also went through a name change in recent years because they've been around since 1989. So they've actively fundraised to support our exhibit projects, artifact preservation programs. So they were the ones who connected with Jared Isaacman. And Jared Isaacman has been through our facilities. I've taken them through hangar circle before they launched on inspiration.

[Maria Varmazes]

I was Gonna say, I bet.

[Jamie Draper]

Wow, that was so cool.

[Maria Varmazes]

That is cool.

[Jamie Draper]

Taking him and his crew through and then spending time with him later before Polaris Dawn. He loved our operation. He loved the history. He's passionate about it. The foundation really made that connection and he decided to offer this donation.

[Maria Varmazes]

That's wonderful.

[Jamie Draper]

And it's dedicated funds toward museum specific projects, specifically exhibits and artifacts acquisitions and restorations. So right now we have some projects planned, some in the works and some on the horizon that are going to be super fun.

[Maria Varmazes]

I was going to say. Can you tell? I don't know if you can tell. You can.

[Jamie Draper]

I can hint that some of it will be upgrades to the history center. I mentioned the San Space History center to make it. Make the. Improve the visitor experience and the interpretation. We have some fun exhibit elements. One focused on women aerospace pioneers, which there's a ton of them in the whole narrative of Cape Canaveral, of course, and bio flights. Nobody knows about bioflights. Those are the monkey knots and astro shims like Ham.

[Maria Varmazes]

I know about HAM because of the New Mexico Museum of Space History.

[Jamie Draper]

Oh, excellent. Yes.

[Maria Varmazes]

I've been to and I learned about Ham there.

[Jamie Draper]

Yes.

[Maria Varmazes]

And I went to Ham's grave site and felt very sad.

[Jamie Draper]

There's all kinds of people that do a pilgrimage to Ms. Baker's gravesite at Huntsville and Ham's out there. So they were our brave primate cousins that paved the way for our human astronauts. And so we're looking at some of those exhibit elements, but we also have some examples, exciting artifact restorations in mind. So remember that rocket garden I mentioned?

[Maria Varmazes]

Yes.

[Jamie Draper]

There's remnants of it just kind of festering in the Florida environment outside.

[Maria Varmazes]

A tough environment for a metal tube.

[Jamie Draper]

The worst preservation environment in the world. So we have three pieces out there specifically that we will meticulously restore with those funds and move them inside hanger C to help place preserve them for future generations.

[Maria Varmazes]

That's wonderful to hear.

[Jamie Draper]

So, so yeah, we're, we. We're doing a lot with that money. We're going to stretch every penny of that donation to maximum use.

[Maria Varmazes]

That's wonderful. I, I look forward to hearing and seeing what happens in the future with that. That's great. So I would be remiss if I didn't address the armadillo in the room that has been here this whole time.

[Jamie Draper]

Rupert.

[Maria Varmazes]

So. Okay, Rupert, your special friend.

[Jamie Draper]

Yes.

[Maria Varmazes]

Please tell me why there is a stuffed armadillo on the sofa.

[Jamie Draper]

So, Rupert. Rupert, the Space armadillo. I wish there was a more exciting story, but is actually one of our great volunteers. Now, I have to mention we have 100 museum volunteers.

[James Draper]

Wow.

[Jamie Draper]

And a waiting list of 20 or 30 in the queue of applicants, because everybody wants to be a part of this amazing history. Well, when I first started, about five and a half years ago, one of those volunteers gave me this stuffed armadillo. And my team and I, sitting around on lunch break were wondering, you know, what's his name? We should name this guy. He should have a story. And so we came up with Rupert. Rupert the Space Armadillo. Yeah, that sounds good.

[Maria Varmazes]

I know.

[Jamie Draper]

And Rupert was born. Now he has a whole biography on our website. His adventures follow Rupert are all over our social media channels. He's all over the Cape. He's a space aficionado himself. The goal is to get Rupert into space, make him a true Space Armadillo as a zero G indicator. Come on, Rupert. You're gonna see him on one of these crew missions, just floating around the astronauts, you know.

[Maria Varmazes]

Mr. Isaac man, just put in a word.

[Jamie Draper]

He's gonna see. We'll get them up there.

[Maria Varmazes]

Get them up there.

[Jamie Draper]

We'll get them up there eventually. Now, why an armadillo? Well, if you go out to the Cape, especially this time of year, there's armadillos everywhere.

[Maria Varmazes]

I did not know that.

[Jamie Draper]

And they're just. They're nine banded armadillos, native to Texas. But I'll tell you the backstory. Back in the 20s or 30s, there was a small mom and pop traveling zoo in the Space coast area. Of course, before it was the Space Coast.

[Maria Varmazes]

Oh, okay.

[Jamie Draper]

And, you know, Great Depression hit. They. They went belly up, and they released certain animals just out in the wild, including some armadillos. I think those armadillos were very good at reproducing because they are all over the eastern coast of Florida right now.

[Maria Varmazes]

It's wild.

[Jamie Draper]

And not.

[Maria Varmazes]

They're not wild, though. I mean, they are wild. What am I saying?

[Jamie Draper]

They're in invasive spaces. Yeah. They're mostly blind and deaf. You could walk pretty much right up to them. It's absolutely bizarre. But they're so cool. And I like to picture Rupert and his kin as, you know, working the pads. They're the launch crews. They're armored, protected from the blast of the rockets. But anyway, that's so sweet. I'm picturing a children's coloring book or something.

[Maria Varmazes]

I was gonna say, if you don't know a children's illustrator, I know a bunch who would love to work on that because we love animals, because this whole time, we've had this interview, and it's just like Rupert's just been sitting.

[Jamie Draper]

Here quietly, just, you know, he's well behaved, I bet. And, you know, pushing him out there into the public. My goal was to bring youth and family groups into the museum fold. You know, something quirky and fun like Rupert. But I'll tell you, the military folks love Rupert. A lot of the uniformed guardians are like, hey, Mr. Draper, where's Rupert? I was like, nice to see you, too. But, yeah, he's right here.

[Maria Varmazes]

So not chopped liver. Just secondary to an armadillo.

[Jamie Draper]

He's got a growing fan base. And, you know, who would have thought? I look back at the beginnings of my career, I never would have envisioned a rocket garden, a space armadillo, all this amazing space history. But, hey, life throws you some really cool curveballs.

[Maria Varmazes]

Foreign that's it for T minus Deep Space, brought to you by N2K CyberWire. We'd love to know what you think of this podcast. You can email [e-mail] or submit the survey in the show notes. Your feedback ensures we deliver the information that keeps you a step ahead in the rapidly changing space industry. N2K Senior Producer is Alice Carruth. Our producer is Liz Stokes. We're mixed by Elliot Peltzman and Trey Hester with original music by Elliot Peltzman. Our executive producer is Jennifer Ibin. Peter Kielpe is our publisher, and I am your host, Maria Varmazes. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time.

[James Draper]

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