In 1996, NASA sank a 132-foot shuttle booster training device off Port Canaveral to become an artificial reef; marine life was expected to establish itself there within four months

A retired NASA training device became an artificial reef in the Atlantic Ocean. This structure provided a new underwater habitat for marine organisms. The Canaveral Port Authority also contributed to the reef's construction. Research indicates artificial reefs quickly attract diverse fish communities. The reef was named the Thomas William Hart Reef for a former diver.