OurfrontdeskvolunteersknowthiswelleveryonelovesPlayalindaBeach,butfewlovewhenthebeachisclosed

unexpectedly.Infact,asvolunteers,weoftenserveasthefaceoftheclosureandhavetheopportunitytohelpvisitors
understandthewho,thewhat,andthewhy.Throughyouallasrefugerepresentativesaswellasprivatecitizens,we
coulduseyourhelpinclarifyingtheclosurestoyourfriends,acquaintancesandvisitorsthroughallplatforms.

HistoryofClosuresImmediatelytothesouthofPlayalinda
BeachsitsNASAslaunchcomplex39withitspadsAandB.PadA
isthemostfamousintheworld,havingbeenthelaunchlocationof
alltwelveoftheastronautswhowalkedonthemoon.Later,PadA
wasthepreferredSpaceShuttlepad.Historically,PlayalindaBeach
wasclosedaheadoflaunches,buttheshuttlefleetretiredin2011.
Manyvisitors,evenlocals,donotknowthatSpaceXhasbeen
leasingPad39AsinceAprilof2014,renovatingitforlaunchesofa
rocketcalledtheFalcon9Heavy,whichiscurrentlyinproduction.

Pad40Explosion SpaceXhasalsobeenleasingPad40on
CapeCanaveralAirForceStationforseveralyearsandhaveusedit
tolaunchtheirsmallerFalcon9rocket29times.OnSeptember1,
2016,SpaceXranatestfireoftheFalcon9senginesandexplodedtherocketandpayload,badlydamagingPad40.
SpaceXhadalreadybeencontractedbyNASAtolaunchacargopayloadtotheInternationalSpaceStationusingthe
Falcon9rocket,sotheymovedthelaunchsiteforthatISSresupplymissiontopad39A.

PlayalindaClosureforStaticFireTestingBecauseofthecostlyincidentinSeptember,PlayalindaBeachwasclosed
duringtheweekendofFebruary11and12forSpaceXsstaticfiringtestforanotherFalcon9.Theengineswere
successfullyfiredonSunday,February12,after
severalabortedattempts.Overthecourseofthatprocess,thebeach
remainedclosedfortheentireweekendwhichreflectsthefactthatengineerstestingequipmentworthmanymillionsof
dollarswilltendtodelaythetestifthereisanyindication,howeversmall,thattheremaybeafailure.

Thisisalsotrueforactuallaunchingoftherocket.SpaceXlaunchedthecargototheISSonthefollowingweekend,which
sawonescrubbedattemptonSaturdaythe18,andasuccessfullaunchonthe19.ThiscausedPlayalindaBeachtobe
closedfortwosuccessiveweekendsandagainangeredvisitorstoourrefuge.

Youcanhelpyourfriendsatthefrontdeskbyge ngthewordoutthatwearewitnessinga newerainspaceight.

Pad39Aisac veagain,andthatisgreatnewsforU.S.taxpayers.SpaceXispayingtoleaseit,andtheyare
contribu ngtothelocaleconomyaswell.NASA,theactualownerofthelandourrefugesitson,allowsustousethe
beachwhenevertheyfeelitissafeforustodoso,buttheyhavethenalsayinanyroadclosuresorrestric ons,not
thestaofMINWR.Ourareaiscalled TheSpaceCoastforareason.Rocketscienceandspacetravelarepartof
whoweare.Themorethepublicfeelsinformedaboutthisnewreality,thelesssurprisedandupsettheywillbe.We
thinkyouhavetherightstutohelpusgetthewordout.Wanttoknowmore?Tryh p://spaceightnow.com.


BehindthescenesPhotoSafari2/10/2017

FloridaScrubJayFestivalJonathanDickinsonStatePark
2/18/2017

T.G.O.FestivalTitusville,FL.
3/11/2017

PumpHouseRoad

F
ebruary15thand16th.Wewerebuildingacontainmentwalloutofcoconutfiberblocksthatwillbeusedto
captureorganicsedimentforarestorationprojectbetweenpumphouseroadandtherailroadtracks.
Theprojectinvolvedsettingupcoconutfiberblocksthatwere9"X16"X10ftandweighabout70lbs.
acrossthesurfaceofanerodedmarsh.Theblockswillbelaidoutendtoendalongapredeterminedline.The
teamlaidout/stakedapproximately1/2mileofthecoconuthusk.Thesedimentbarrierintowhichasmall
dredgewillpump+10,000cubicyardsofmuckfromtheremainderoftheimpoundmentstartingnextweek.
ItisaprojecttohopefullyregainatruesaltmarshinthisimpoundmentontheIndianRiverbetweenthe
TitusvilleBridgeandtheRailroadbridge.
ProjectLeaderStanHowater'swithMr.RonBrockmeyeroftheSJRMDbeingtheonsiteoverseerwith
involvementofBrevardCountyMosquitoControl,KSCEnvironmentalcontractor,FWC,NOAAand
theArmyCorps.MadthankstoChris,Doug,SteveandCharlieforworkinghardonthisproject!

Heyy all!JoinusforournextBrownBagLunchSeminaronF riday,March

31,tolearnaboutSeaTurtleNes ngandpoten alopportuni esforyou
alltogetinvolved!Inaddi on,checkthebinderatthefrontdeskfornew
informa ononrecordingourvolunteerdatayouallhelpuscontribute!
Also,savethedate!!TheannualVolunteerApprecia onLuncheonwill
beTuesday,April11,attheOrlandoWetlands!Thankyouallforallthat
youdo!!
EmilyDeLanzo

1942BirthdayBashatSendler
March 11, 2017

DarylBILLNedMargaretJim


JoeConnieWilliam

ThankstoConnieCranstonandMIWAfortheircon nuingsupport,oftheVolunteerProgram.

BehindthescenesPhotoSafari3/10/2017

GuessWho?

IfyouwouldliketocontributetotheNextP.B.H.News,
pleasecontact:Connieat:c onnieforeman42@gmail.com

Hook Kids on Fishing!

Saturday, April 8th 1PM-3PM
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Event held at the Coquina Pit

Ages616(mustbeaccompaniedbyanadult)
Handson,conservationmindedfishingprogram
Learncasting,knottyingandmuchmore!
www.AnglersforConservation.org
MerrittIslandNationalWildlifeRefugesite:
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Merritt_Island/

Contact Charlie DeVoe for sign up/Questions:

charlie.b.devoe@gmail.com

Of ce phone: 321-861-1421