Publisher’s Note

It began with a bold idea.
Speaking before a joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the ambitious goal of sending an American to the moon by the end of the decade. The announcement came just six weeks after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space and four years after the Soviet Union shocked and embarrassed the United States by launching Sputnik, the Earth’s first artificial satellite.

Although Christmas in Florida is different than the snow-covered Christmases many people know in the north, holidays here aren’t without their traditions.

In an interview with Space Coast Living writer Lucinda Coulter, Petro marvels at where her career has taken her and the excitement of commanding the space center and its 7,300 civil and contract employees.