Cape Canaveral, Florida – Excavations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station have unveiled a piece of history dating back to 1950. University researchers are diligently mapping out the remains of the Bumper blockhouse, where America’s first rocket launch took place.
Armed with a close-range structured light scanner, Jorge González meticulously captures the details of the recently unearthed steel-mat corridor leading into the Bumper blockhouse. This blockhouse, constructed as a temporary wooden structure, witnessed the historic launch of Bumper 8 on July 24, 1950.
Military technicians at the time utilized bulky electronics within the makeshift blockhouse to facilitate the monumental launch. The significance of this site, being the first blockhouse ever erected at Cape Canaveral, is now being preserved through advanced 3D mapping technologies, according to Travis Doering, co-director of the University of South Florida’s Center for Digital Heritage and Geospatial Information.
The lack of documentation on the Bumper blockhouse’s “firing room” emphasizes the urgency in preserving and studying the historical artifacts found at the site. Tom Penders, the cultural resources manager at Space Launch Delta 45, highlights the importance of uncovering and documenting this pivotal piece of space exploration history.
Continuing the excavation efforts, a team of University of Central Florida Anthropology students is working diligently to survey, excavate, and document artifacts at the Bumper blockhouse site. Their work aims to shed light on the site’s history as the launch’s 75th anniversary approaches.
The rugged conditions faced by students participating in the Cape Canaveral Archaeological Mitigation Project underscore the challenges of aerospace archaeological surveys in the wilds of Cape Canaveral. The uncovering of mirror fragments, a Coca-Cola bottle from Cocoa, sections of tarpaper, and other artifacts at the excavation site paints a vivid picture of the past.
As researchers delve deeper into the Bumper blockhouse’s history, they trace the evolution of space exploration from humble beginnings to groundbreaking achievements. The ongoing efforts to preserve and study this historical site serve as a testament to the enduring impact of America’s first rocket launch at Cape Canaveral.