U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation · 501(c)(3) · Est. 1989 Campaign Live · Phase 1 Opens 2027
The 250 for 250 Campaign

America turns 250. Her spaceport builds what comes next.

Legacy of Launch is the 250 for 250 campaign: $250 million to honor seventy-five years of American spaceflight at Cape Canaveral, and to build the next 250. Phase 0 is complete. Phase 1 opens January 1, 2027.

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$250M
250 for 250
6 sites
Historic Complexes
Phase 0
Complete · Sands 2025
Jan 2027
Phase 1 Opens
Phase 0 Complete

Sands Space History Center, reopened.

In June 2025 the Sands Space History Center reopened to the public. It is Phase 0 of Legacy of Launch: proof, already delivered, that this campaign builds. New exhibits, restored artifacts, and a rebuilt visitor experience are operational on the grounds of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.

Phase 1 is the activation: the experience, the grounds, and the public welcome, opening January 1, 2027. Phase 2 is the full build, launching during America's 250th.

Phase 0 was anchored by a lead gift from Jared Isaacman, announced May 7, 2024, the largest single private donation in the Foundation's 35-year history, made in his personal capacity as commander of Polaris Dawn. It funds the restoration of rare Cold War artifacts and new exhibits at the museum and the Sands Center.

Phase 0 Anchor: Jared Isaacman · in a personal capacity, May 2024
Stewardship: U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation
Site: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
Sands Space History Center after restoration
Sands Center · Phase 0
June 2025
Campaign Progress
Phase 1 Underway
Phase 00
Sands Space History Center
Reopened June 2025
Complete
Phase 01
Activation and Experience
Opens January 1, 2027
Underway
Phase 02
The Full Build
Launching during America's 250th
Upcoming
$250M
Campaign Goal
Jan 2027
Phase 1 Opens
Established
1989
The Stewards

The campaign behind Legacy of Launch is the oldest steward of American spaceflight heritage at Cape Canaveral.

The U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has championed the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum for more than thirty-five years. The Foundation is the authorized recipient of all gifts supporting the Museum's exhibits, restoration projects, public tours, and STEM education programs.

Legacy of Launch is the Foundation's 250 for 250 campaign: a single, coordinated effort to honor what America built here, and to build what comes next. As a 501(c)(3), the Foundation is how the public can build alongside the Space Force.

Tax Status
501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Authority
USSF-Recognized
Founded
1989
Partners and supporters
Roddenberry Foundation Aldrin Family Foundation Space Florida Delaware North Polaris Dawn Northboro Builders Karman Line
The Campaign

Five ways to build what comes next.

Each tier carries a defined role in the build. Named placements at Launch Complex 26, the Sands Center galleries, and the historic complexes are reserved and assigned in private conversation.

I
Founding Patron $5M and above
Title SponsorshipTitle sponsor of a launch complex restoration or the Phase 1 experience. Named placement on permanent exterior architecture. Lifetime founding-patron recognition across the campaign and the Museum.
Private Inquiry
II
Founder $1M – $5M
Named Gallery or HallNamed gallery, hall, or major exhibit within the Sands Center or a launch complex. Founders' wall recognition and private docent program.
Private Inquiry
III
Anchor $250K – $1M
Restoration SponsorSponsorship of a specific artifact, mission control restoration, or pad-adjacent installation. Named recognition at the installation site.
Private Inquiry
IV
Champion $50K – $250K
Programs & EducationNamed STEM cohort, education series, or VIP tour program. Recognition in the Sands Center and on the Legacy of Launch campaign record.
Begin Giving
V
Supporter Up to $50K
General CampaignGeneral campaign support. Donor recognition in the campaign honor roll and the Sands Center visitor experience.
Give Now
The Founder Program

A small circle of patrons shaping the next 250 years.

The Founder program is an invitation-led group of philanthropists, families, and institutions making transformative commitments to the campaign. If we want to do something great, good is not enough. Founders are recognized in permanent architectural placement, hosted at private events at Cape Canaveral, and consulted directly on the trajectory of the build.

Phase 0 Anchor
Jared Isaacman · in a personal capacity, May 2024
01
Permanent placement
Architectural recognition at the Sands Center or a campaign site.
02
Private convening
Hosted access to closed events at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
03
Direct counsel
Consulted on the campaign's trajectory and on future site selection.
Jared Isaacman
“

I am pleased to be able to support the USSF's mission to preserve and promote the rich heritage of space development, education and exploration.

Jared IsaacmanCommander, Polaris Dawn · May 2024
Gift and statement made in a personal capacity in May 2024, prior to public office. Not a current endorsement by Mr. Isaacman, NASA, or the U.S. Government.
Private Inquiry

For prospective Founders and major donors.

  • A confidential briefing with the campaign leadership
  • Private site walk of the campaign sites at Cape Canaveral
  • Named-placement options reviewed in person
  • Tax structuring for stock, DAF, and planned gifts
Request a Briefing
Replies within 48 hours · Confidential
Phase 02 · The Full Build

What rises next: a national gateway to America's spaceport.

The full build transforms the Cape's public experience into a world-class destination, an architectural landmark where visitors stand at the edge of active launch operations. Shown here in concept.

Concept Rendering Concept rendering of the Phase 2 visitor center at dusk
The arrival experience at dusk
Concept Rendering Concept rendering of the public viewing deck during a launch
The public viewing deck at launch
Design and delivery

A team behind some of the country's most ambitious places is designing and building it.

Master planning
& architecture
Construction
& logistics
Experience
design
Design
& fabrication
The Sites

The ground where America first reached space.

Six historic complexes form the spine of the campaign. Each carries its own restoration plan, its own named placement opportunities, and its own role in the rebuilt visitor experience.

Launch Complex 26
Jan 31, 1958
LC-26 · Phase 1

Birthplace of the Space Age

Where Explorer 1, America's first satellite, soared into orbit and revealed the Van Allen radiation belts that opened the Space Age. The anchor of the Phase 1 experience.

The Phase 1 Experience
Launch Complex 34
Jan 27, 1967
LC-34 · Phase 2

The Apollo 1 Memorial

Hallowed ground where Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee gave their lives. Their sacrifice strengthened the resolve to reach the Moon.

Founder Placement Reserved
Launch Complex 14
Feb 20, 1962
LC-14 · Phase 2

Where John Glenn Orbited Earth

The pad that sent Friendship 7 into orbit and made John Glenn the first American to circle the planet.

Founder Placement Reserved
Launch Complex 5
May 5, 1961
LC-5 · Phase 2

America's First Astronaut

Launch Complex 5, where Alan Shepard rode Freedom 7 into history as America's first astronaut.

Anchor Sponsor Available
Hangar C
Cold War
HGR-C · Phase 2

The Hidden Archive

Cold War rockets, Redstone prototypes, and Titan-era hardware, in a former missile assembly building by the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse. A collection unmatched anywhere in the country.

Restoration Sponsor Available
Sands Space History Center
Reopened 2025
SNDS · Phase 0

The Sands Center

The Foundation's flagship public experience. Reopened June 2025 with new exhibits, restored artifacts, and the rebuilt visitor program.

Phase 0 · Complete
Where Gifts Go

What your gift actually does.

$25K
Per Restoration Cycle

Artifact Restoration

Funds one full conservation cycle for a major artifact: a launch console, a flight-flown component, or a period-correct restoration.

$100K
Per STEM Cohort

STEM Education

Underwrites a full annual cohort of Florida students through the Sands Center's hands-on space education program.

$500K
Per Exhibit Hall

New Exhibit Hall

Funds the design, fabrication, and installation of a new permanent exhibit hall at the Sands Center.

$2.5M
Per Pad Restoration

Pad Restoration

Funds the structural restoration and public-access infrastructure for a single historic launch complex.

Ways to Give

Built for every kind of gift.

The Foundation accepts every major giving vehicle used by individuals, families, and institutions. Gifts of appreciated securities, donor-advised funds, and qualified charitable distributions are encouraged.

All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law and are receipted directly by the U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation.

U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation, Inc.
EIN furnished on request · 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization
01 · Online

Credit or Debit

Make a one-time or recurring gift online via the Foundation's secure giving portal.

Give Online
02 · Securities

Appreciated Stock

Transfer appreciated securities directly for a full fair-market deduction and capital-gains avoidance.

Request Wire Instructions
03 · DAF

Donor-Advised Fund

Recommend a grant from your DAF at Fidelity Charitable, Schwab, Vanguard, or your community foundation.

DAF Grant Details
04 · IRA

Qualified Charitable Distribution

If you are 70½ or older, give directly from your IRA up to the annual QCD limit, tax-free.

QCD Instructions
05 · Planned

Planned & Legacy Gifts

Include the Foundation in your estate plan, charitable trust, or beneficiary designations.

Planned Giving
06 · By Check

By Mail

U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation
Sands Space History Center
100 Space Port Way, Bldg. 90328
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920

321-853-9171
Every American
$2.50

puts your name on the wall.

Two hundred fifty years of American spaceflight. A $250 million campaign. And a place for every American who helped imagine it. Give $2.50, or far more, and your name joins the digital Wall of 250.

Add your name · $2.50
The Wall of 250
+ Your name + + + Your name + + + + Your name + + + + Your name
Every gift adds a name. Be among the first on the wall.
Questions

What to know before you give.

Have a question we have not covered here? Write to donate@legacyoflaunch.org.

What is Legacy of Launch?

Legacy of Launch is the 250 for 250 campaign of the U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation: a single, coordinated effort to honor American spaceflight at Cape Canaveral and to build what comes next, timed to America's 250th. Gifts support the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum, including its exhibits, restoration projects, public tours, and STEM education programs.

How can I support the campaign?

Gifts of every size move the campaign forward. You can give by check, with appreciated stock, through a donor-advised fund, or with a qualified charitable distribution from your IRA. Larger commitments can be structured as Founder gifts with named placement opportunities. To begin, write to donate@legacyoflaunch.org.

What do Founders receive?

Founders are a small circle of patrons who make a transformative commitment to the campaign. Founder gifts carry named placement opportunities across the rebuilt visitor experience, along with early access and recognition. To explore a Founder commitment, write to founders@legacyoflaunch.org.

How do I get involved?

The simplest first step is to make a gift, or to start a conversation about a Founder commitment. You can also help by sharing the campaign and connecting us with others who care about preserving and advancing America's spaceport. Reach us at donate@legacyoflaunch.org.

Am I required to take IRA distributions?

If you hold a traditional IRA, the IRS generally requires you to begin taking required minimum distributions once you reach the qualifying age under current law. The rules depend on your age and account type, so confirm your situation with your tax advisor.

How are IRA distributions taxed?

Distributions from a traditional IRA are generally taxed as ordinary income in the year you take them. A qualified charitable distribution made directly to an eligible nonprofit is excluded from your taxable income, within the annual limit. Your tax advisor can confirm how this applies to you.

Does the required withdrawal amount change over time?

Yes. The required amount is recalculated each year based on your account balance and IRS life-expectancy tables, so it generally changes from year to year. Your plan administrator or tax advisor can provide your current figure.

What if I give my IRA distribution to a nonprofit?

If you are at the qualifying age, you can make a qualified charitable distribution directly from your IRA to the U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation. A QCD can count toward your required minimum distribution and is excluded from your taxable income, up to the annual limit. Write to donate@legacyoflaunch.org for transfer details.

The Invitation

Move dirt to move the masses.

Phase 0 is delivered. Phase 1 opens January 1, 2027. The next 250 years of American space will be shaped, in large part, by the people who choose to build them now.

Become a Founder Make a Gift