In 1981 the Kennedy Space Center transferred stewardship of
a large and unique collection of aerial photography film, as well as all the original notes, to the University
of Florida Map & Imagery Library.
The collection includes 378 rolls of black and white, color, and color infrared film of various sizes
(9? x 9?, 70 mm, and 4? x 5?), totaling upwards of 22,000 photographic images covering thirty-seven
separate missions. Each mission represents a research project conducted by the Kennedy Space Center in
the 1970s in which a camera attached to a fixed-wing aircraft would take a series of photos over a
specific region.
These missions are predominantly for Florida
projects, but also include study areas in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and several other states.
An example of a typical mission is the photography for the ?Biological Control of Aquatic Weeds in Florida,?
which includes aerial photography of lakes in ten Florida counties from 1972 to 1976.
Thanks to the
library mini grant program, three rolls of digitized samples containing about 300
total images, digitized copies of the accompanying documentation, a geo-referenced sample of one image, and an inventory
of the collection are available as a sampling of the collection.
Kennedy Space Center Film Inventory
The research potential of the collection is enormous. Aerial photography can be employed for a variety of uses,
such as vegetative analysis, land use planning, site selection, and location of materials. The value of this unique
collection is not limited to university and statewide applications; these missions, undertaken by NASA, can also
provide research tools on a national scale. Information gleaned from these photos could enhance any research
dealing with land, vegetation, and water, and would have practical application in agriculture, engineering,
geography, geology, and geomatics. This project has provided an understanding of the scope of the collection.
We now have a sound basis for understanding exactly what is needed to digitize the rest of the collection.
All that is lacking now is the funding. For information on how to donate and help bring this unique resource to the public,
please contact Samuel Huang at the
Library Development Office.
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