How NASA almost said “Tampa” instead of “Houston”

Houston loves being America’s Space City now, but do you know just how close it came to not having NASA’s Johnson Space Center in town?

When NASA was approved to build a new crewed spaceflight laboratory, there were 23 sites considered. Houston’s site, located near Rice University, initially was the second choice, behind the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. 

However, that base was first because the Air Force was planning to close the Strategic Air Command operations, but the Air Force reversed that plan before NASA could select it.

“Tampa, we have liftoff” doesn’t sound right, does it?

– Alex Simon, The 100 Companies