Downrange!

Display location: Museum exhibit hall

The term "downrange" came into use at the Cape in the 1950s. It refers to the chain of island tracking and telemetry stations originating at Cape Canaveral that is now called simply the Eastern Range. Many of the original tracking stations have disappeared, replaced by more modern methods of controlling and tracking missile flight. This early map defines the downrange chain from those early days.

The center room of the museum Exhibit Hall contains several displays dedicated to the Downrange sites, including the islands and tracking ships. The large framed map (left) hung in a Cape administrative office for decades. The display case (right) holds island artifacts, photographs and models describing downrange operations. Representing all the downrange islands is a Spanish Cannon from Grand Turk in the rocket garden.

Long Range Proving Ground Division March 1951 - June 1951	Air Force Missile Test Center June 1951 - July 1967	Atlantic Missile Range May 1958 - May 1964
Air Force Eastern Test Range July 1967 - February 1977	Eastern Space and Missile Center October 1979 - November 1991	6555th Aerospace Test Wing December 1959 - October 1990
	45th Space Wing November 1991 - Present