1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of I Heart Radio, 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff Lauren vogelbaumb Here. Astronauts are driven, disciplined, 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,920 Speaker 1: physically fit, and trained to solve complex problems in high 4 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: stakes situations. But of course sometimes they just want to 5 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,120 Speaker 1: get away from it all, from the press, the physicians, 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 1: and the rigors of flight prep. You've got to make 7 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 1: time to sharpen the saw. But where on Earth can 8 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: these people find a little seclusion. Well, since nineteen NASA's 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: kept a bungalow on the East Florida Coast closed to 10 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:39,360 Speaker 1: the general public. It's been a welcome retreat for generations 11 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: of astronauts. Barbecues and bottle signings are cherished pastimes at 12 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: the hideaway, so are fond farewells. Historically, this was the 13 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: last place where many space bound crews got to hang 14 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: out with their families before launch. Here's the story of 15 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 1: the Kennedy Space Center, Beach House and Conference Center, or 16 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:01,040 Speaker 1: the beach House for short, ORDA and NASA go a 17 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: long way back. In nineteen sixty one, it was decided 18 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,319 Speaker 1: that the agency would build a new launch center on 19 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 1: Florida's Merritt Island, which is technically a peninsula. By the way, 20 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 1: other sites were considered, including New Mexico's White Sands Missile Range, 21 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: where the first atomic bomb had been set off sixteen 22 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,759 Speaker 1: years prior. Proximity to the Atlantic Ocean gave Merritt Island 23 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: a strategic advantage. Rockets launched there could streak across the 24 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 1: ocean without disturbing populated areas. Latitude was another plus. Florida 25 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: is reasonably close to the equator, where Earth's rotation speed 26 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 1: is at its fastest. But when you set off a 27 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,479 Speaker 1: rocket in the Sunshine State, the vessel can save fuel 28 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: by capitalizing on this principle. It's why Merritt Island is 29 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: now the home of the Kennedy Space Center Spaceport. NASA 30 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: wasn't the first group to take an interest in this region, however. 31 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: The U. S Military had been testing missiles on nearby 32 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: Cape Canaveral since ninety nine, and then came the snowbirds. 33 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: Vacation homes and other seaside properties sprouted like days in 34 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: the post war economy. One piece of real estate was 35 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: a two story beach house constructed in nineteen sixty two. Really, 36 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: it was just another wood framed building in the Neptune 37 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 1: Beach subdivision. At first, NASA partnered up with the Army 38 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: Corps of Engineers to buy the entire development in nineteen 39 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: sixty three forty five hundred dollars, which is a little 40 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: more than two hundred and sixty six thousand, eight hundred 41 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: dollars in today's money. Neighboring houses and a gas station 42 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: were cleared away, but this Plain Jane Cottage escaped. The 43 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: wrecking Ball situated on government owned land. The beach house 44 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: is well off the beaten path. In his two thousand 45 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: six memoir, astronaut Richard Mike Mullaine said the place was 46 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: as isolated as Mars. Originally called the Astronaut Training and 47 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: Rehabilitation Building, it started out as a home away from home, 48 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,519 Speaker 1: a place where crew members could get some shut eye 49 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 1: on overnight stays. As the decades passed, the bungalow evolved 50 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:01,120 Speaker 1: into more of a hangout spot astronauts could drop by 51 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: individually or as a crew. Many also chose to take 52 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:07,920 Speaker 1: their spouses and families over by design, though this isn't 53 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: the easiest spot to access space. Shuttle veteran Robert Springer, 54 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: who flew missions in recalled that he and his crewmates 55 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 1: used to borrow the key from a NASSAS staff member. 56 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,119 Speaker 1: The spontaneous visits were not encouraged, though a one day 57 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 1: payload specialist, Samuel Durance, waltzed over with some colleagues but 58 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: forgot to give the administrators any advanced notice. On their 59 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: way back, the group was met by a swat team, 60 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: and guests had to play by the house rules. For example, 61 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: young children were barred from the premises during astronaut quarantine periods. 62 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: The Beach House has entertained its share of politicians and diplomats, 63 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: and to this day it remains an active meeting place 64 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: for government organizations. But among space history buffs, this mid 65 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,200 Speaker 1: century relic is remembered first and foremost as an explorer's 66 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: way station, filled with the stories of its tenants. There 67 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: was the time that Springer and a crewmate went for 68 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: a dip in the ocean, only to be met by 69 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: a helicopter full of frantically waving airmen. It turned out 70 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:09,720 Speaker 1: the swimmers had gotten a little too close to an 71 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: enormous gang of sharks. Unaware of the danger and oblivious 72 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: to the warning, the astronauts waved back. Don't worry, everything 73 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:21,479 Speaker 1: turned out fine. Pre launch barbecues are traditional. Shortly before 74 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: space crew takes off, it's customary for them to gather 75 00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:27,600 Speaker 1: with family members at the cottage for constables and camaraderie. 76 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:31,799 Speaker 1: Sometimes the guests get dinner and a show. Former Kennedy 77 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,719 Speaker 1: Space Center Deputy Director James A. Gene Thomas witnessed a 78 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: cosplay prank at one of these beach parties. The mission 79 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: being toasted that day was set to include Franklin's story Musgrave, 80 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,559 Speaker 1: a legendary astronaut who happened to be bald just for kicks. 81 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:49,040 Speaker 1: The rest of his crew decided to impersonate Musgrave at 82 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:52,040 Speaker 1: this barbecue, so everyone showed up with rubber l text 83 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 1: sheets on their heads and name tags that read HI, 84 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: I'm story. Another long standing tradition at the beach house 85 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: involves leaving your mark. The outgoing crew will sign a 86 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 1: wine bottle before they blast off. Official mission logos usually 87 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: adorn these mementos. By now, a few decades worth of 88 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: space flights have been chronicled on bottlenecks and wine labels, 89 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:16,160 Speaker 1: now kept in a cabinet display. In Hurricane Matthew did 90 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: a number on the bungalow, necessitating massive repairs inside and out. 91 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: Once the kitchens, bathrooms, multiple walls, and most of the 92 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:26,280 Speaker 1: second floor had been overhauled. The cottage reopened on July. 93 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 1: We reached out to the Kennedy Space Center, which informed 94 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: us that the beach House is not currently being used 95 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 1: by any astronaut cruise, but who knows, maybe that'll change 96 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: in the near future. NASA does want to quote put 97 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: the first woman and next man on the Moon by 98 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:46,640 Speaker 1: the year four. No doubt future occupants will feel mixed 99 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: emotions at the old beach House. Most astronauts do along 100 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 1: with their loved ones. Donna Mlaine, Mike's wife, said in 101 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: interview with NASA, as a spouse, you know you're coming 102 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: out here to say goodbye, and you don't know if 103 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: it's the last time yet. By many accounts, fear intermingles 104 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: with excitement from the bungalow. Visitors have gotten some spectacular 105 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:11,080 Speaker 1: views of eager rockets, ships ready for launch gleaming from 106 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: the nearby Space Center. Today's episode was written by Mark 107 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: Mancini and produced by Tyler Clang. For more on listen 108 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:23,720 Speaker 1: lots of other topics, visit how stuff works dot com. 109 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,480 Speaker 1: Brain Stuff is production of iHeart Radio. For more podcasts, 110 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: my Heart Radio visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, 111 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.