Adult & Teen Summer Reading Challenge 2025

Week One — The Florida Space Coast

Florida’s Space Coast, 72 miles of Atlantic coastline east of Orlando, is home to the Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.  All orbital launches from American soil carrying NASA astronauts have departed from either KSC or Cape Canaveral.  

Why Florida? One reason has to do with the Earth's rotation. The Earth rotates from west to east, with the highest rotational speed at the equator. Launching eastward from this region adds that rotational speed to the rocket’s velocity, making it more fuel-efficient.  Another is that launching from a sparsely populated area towards open water minimizes the risk to people in the event of debris from a failed launch. This combination of safety and efficiency makes Florida's East Coast ideal for space launches. 

Want more geeky facts? Or maybe some gripping stories of space exploration, true and fictional?  Read on:  

• My Remarkable Journey: A Memoir by Katherine Johnson 
• Hidden Figures: the American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly 
• Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond by Gene Kranz 
• American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race by Douglas Brinkley 
• Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon by Robert Kurson 
• Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story by Lily Koppel 
• The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts That Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel by Meredith Bagby 
• Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us From Missiles to the Moon by Nathalia Holt 
• No Dream is Too High: Life Lessons From a Man Who Walked on the Moon by Buzz Aldrin 
• Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham 
• Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach 
• When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach by Ashlee Vance 
• Florida’s Space Coast: The Impact of NASA on the Sunshine State by William Barnaby Faherty 
• The Martian by Andy Weir 
• The Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield 
• Deception Point by Dan Brown 
• Voyage by Stephen Baxter 
• Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson 
• The Wanderers by Meg Howrey 
• Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood 
• Across the Universe by Beth Revis 
• The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper 
• 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad 
• Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill 

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will have you looking to the heavens, but there are plenty of amazing things to do and see on Florida's Space Coast.  You can take in the area's natural beauty with a guided tour of the Indian River Lagoon. Kayak with manatees, fish with dolphins and experience the awe of summertime bioluminescence kayaking tours. Don’t forget to visit the Brevard Zoo, get wild on an alligator-seeking airboat ride, or search for sea turtle tracks at sunrise.