S . ▁space craft ▁( 1 9 6 8 ). ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁launch ▁site ▁for ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁space craft ▁to ▁( separ ately ) ▁fly ▁past ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁plan ets ▁in ▁the ▁Sol ar ▁System ▁( 1 9 6 2 – 1 9 7 7 ), ▁the ▁first ▁space craft ▁to ▁orbit ▁Mars ▁( 1 9 7 1 ) ▁and ▁ro am ▁its ▁surface ▁( 1 9 9 6 ), ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁space craft ▁to ▁orbit ▁and ▁land ▁on ▁Ven us ▁( 1 9 7 8 ), ▁the ▁first ▁space craft ▁to ▁orbit ▁Sat urn ▁( 2 0 0 4 ), ▁and ▁to ▁orbit ▁Mercur y ▁( 2 0 1 1 ), ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁space craft ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁Sol ar ▁System ▁( 1 9 7 7 ). ▁ ▁Port ions ▁of ▁the ▁base ▁have ▁been ▁designated ▁a ▁National ▁Historic ▁Land mark ▁for ▁their ▁association ▁with ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁space ▁program . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁CC AF S ▁area ▁had ▁been ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁government ▁to ▁test ▁miss iles ▁since ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁when ▁President ▁Harry ▁S . ▁Tr uman ▁established ▁the ▁J oint ▁Long ▁Range ▁Pro ving ▁Gr ound ▁at ▁Cape ▁C ana ver al . ▁The ▁location ▁was ▁among ▁the ▁best ▁in ▁the ▁contin ental ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁this ▁purpose , ▁as ▁it ▁allowed ▁for ▁launch es ▁out ▁over ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean , ▁and ▁is ▁closer ▁to ▁the ▁equ ator ▁than ▁most ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the