luna via tampa

In Jules Verne’s novel “From the Earth to the Moon,” Tampa Town is the place chosen for the launch.  The novel was written around 1865, yet it seems many of his notions were dead on.

Verne’s spacecraft was launched in December, from latitude 27 deg 7 min North, longitude 82 deg 9 min West (which I think is actually near Sarasota). After a journey of 242 hours 31 minutes, including 48 hours in lunar orbit, the spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 20 deg 7 min North, 118 deg 39 min West, and was recovered by the US Navy vessel Susquehanna.

Here’s a map that appeared in the book. Click on the image to see a bigger image.  Notice Tampa is also known as “Moon City.” There’s also an image of the map translated into English.  You can find a bunch of images from the Verne’s works at The Illustrated Jules Verne.

After considering 12 sites in Texas and Florida, Stone Hill, south of Tampa, Florida is selected in Jules Verne’s novel.

One hundred years later, NASA considered 7 launch sites and selected Merritt Island, Florida. In both cases Brownsville, Texas was rejected as a site; politics played a major role in the site selection; and site criteria included a latitude below 28 degrees north and good access to the sea.

The City of Tampa pays a bit of homage to Jules Verne in South Tampa.  You can travel on Verne St. near Ballast Point, or take a drive on Jules Verne Ct. a little further south.  There’s also an historical marker at the park formerly known as Jules Verne Park (renamed Ballast Point Park in 1920).

Other interests also made the Tampa/Verne connection.  In 1891, the Whiting Manufacturing Company created a spoon with a depiction of “luna via Tampa FLA”.  Tampa cigarmakers A. Ramirez & Co. created a cigar label with Jules Verne in the 1940’s.  Remember the Walt Disney World attraction based on Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?  According to one guy, those submarines were built by Tampa Ship in the 1970’s.