way , ▁spe cially ▁constructed ▁for ▁the ▁Space ▁Sh utt le , ▁is ▁located ▁on ▁Mer ritt ▁Island ▁at ▁the ▁adjacent ▁of ▁Kennedy ▁Space ▁Center . ▁ ▁Naval ▁Or dn ance ▁Test ▁Unit ▁ ▁A ▁ten ant ▁command ▁located ▁at ▁Cape ▁C ana ver al ▁A FS ▁is ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Navy ' s ▁Naval ▁Or dn ance ▁Test ▁Unit ▁( NOT U ). ▁As ▁a ▁major ▁shore ▁command ▁led ▁by ▁a ▁Navy ▁captain , ▁NOT U ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁and ▁initially ▁directed ▁almost ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁efforts ▁towards ▁the ▁development ▁and ▁subsequent ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁sub marine - launch ed ▁Fle et ▁Ball istic ▁Miss ile ▁( FB M ) ▁program . ▁ ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁NOT U ▁being ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁Director , ▁Special ▁Project s ▁( now ▁Str ateg ic ▁Systems ▁Program s ) ▁with ▁a ▁mission ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Pol aris ▁miss ile ▁and ▁later ▁the ▁P ose id on ▁miss ile ▁programs . ▁ ▁NOT U ' s ▁mission ▁is ▁the ▁support ▁and ▁testing ▁of ▁sea - based ▁weapons ▁systems ▁for ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ▁and ▁the ▁Royal ▁Navy ▁in ▁a ▁safe ▁environment ▁util izing ▁the ▁air space ▁and ▁waters pace ▁of ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Range . ▁ ▁The ▁command ▁directly ▁supports ▁the ▁mission ▁cap ability ▁and ▁read iness ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Navy ' s ▁Tr ident ▁Sub mar ines ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Fle et ▁Ball istic ▁Miss ile ▁program ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom . ▁ ▁NOT