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The primary reason, and the one that most people don't realize, is that Kennedy Space Center isn't the main center in the area - Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAS) (Patrick Air Force Base) is. KSC is just the one most people know about.

CCAS was opened in 1950, and is used as a missile test range and launch facility for satellites. Its location is optimal as well - being closer to the Earth's equator, rockets get a boost from the Earth's rotation. The Atlantic Ocean is used primarily as the main missile/rocket range area, so that if there is an accident or intentional destruction, debris will fall into remote areas. Prior to each launch, the launch trajectory path is cleared and vessels/aircraft are warned to clear the area. Most vessels/aircraft know the launch paths used, and the schedules, and steer clear. Those that fail to heed the warning and breach the KSC/CCAS security zone are in for a very bad day.

The launch facility sites were chosen primarily for the same reason that CCAS was. Before NASA was formed, the Space Program was run by the military, and in post WWII America, a military base provided the best security to conduct rocket tests. Not to mention the land at the time was dirt cheap and sparsely populated. As they say in real estate - Location, Location, Location. The area where they're located is perfect for their operations in the past as well as today.

Many people don't realize just how loud a rocket or Shuttle launch is either, and is another reason launch facilities for all rockets are usually in remote areas. People complained about the Concorde flights causing noise when they flew into Kennedy Airport and Dulles, and they weren't even close to the noise from a launch. You can literally feel the shock wave from a launch at the viewing areas a couple of miles away, and if it weren't for the water noise dampening system on the launch pads for the larger launch vehicles, the noise and vibration would shatter windows in Cocoa Beach and Titusville, just a few miles away, not to mention those on the station itself.

Weather, though at times a pain, is only a factor for Manned Flight operations, and isn't as big a deal for unmanned rocket launches carrying satellites, which comprise most of the base's activity.

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