CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA and the Air Force reduced security restrictions at three Space Coast bases Friday for the first time in almost four months.
The National Guard presence at Melbourne International Airport also will be cut, airport officials said.
Coupled with Wednesday's planned reopening of State Road A1A -- which runs along the Atlantic coast in front of Patrick Air Force Base -- the moves indicate a slight relaxation of security throughout the area.
But officials say they still are vigilant.
Some restrictions on A1A traffic will remain in place. Starting Wednesday, cars can pass in front of the base unhindered, but pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles will be stopped for inspection. Large trucks will not be allowed on the road.
For the first time, Air Force officials are providing more details about why SR A1A was closed.
Maj. Mike Rein, spokesman for the 45th Space Wing at Patrick, said the highway was closed for six miles as a precaution after an Air Force officer and guards spotted suspicious photographers.
"There were people observed taking pictures of the base," Rein said. "At the same time, there were people observed at the other end of the base taking pictures. There were other observed coincidences that I can't go into that led to the closure of the road."
Rein also said that while the security status was reduced, security conditions were redefined by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. Aside from SR A1A's reopening, he said there will be few signs security measures have eased at the base.
Patrick, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center have operated at their second-highest alert status since reopening after Sept. 11. Friday's announcement drops that status one notch, but will have little effect on how people and vehicles are admitted onto the installations, NASA and Air Force spokesmen said.
"We are far from normal," Rein said.
The alert stages -- Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta -- have changed, he added.
"The 'Bravo' before Sept. 11, I don't believe, had us checking ID's at the front gate," Rein said.
The decision came a day after the FBI extended its terror alert through March 11. The bureau said the steps taken along the Space Coast were not contradictory to its alert.
"I think everybody is still on heightened alert in light of the events," FBI spokeswoman Angela Bell said. "It's up to their discretion how they use the information."
Each military base sets its own security standards, Defense Department spokeswoman Cheryl Irwin said. There are indications that Patrick, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and KSC are some of the last federal bases to reduce their security restrictions.
Neither NASA nor Air Force officials would detail which measures would be enforced and which would be abandoned.
"A lot of it is internal security changes," Rein said. "We still think we have the measures in place to secure us."
KSC modified its security arrangements after shuttle Endeavour landed recently. The change allowed visitors to enter the base from State Road 3 on their way to the KSC Visitor Complex. The visitor center buses were allowed to take tourists to a launch pad observation tower.
"Our security continues to be adequate and effective," KSC spokesman Bruce Buckingham said. "Everything's basically remaining at the same state of affairs."
KSC Visitor Complex spokeswoman Michelle Salyer said the reduced security status at the bases could help bolster attendance by restoring a comfortable atmosphere.
The complex was forced to lay off workers after Sept. 11 and the subsequent increased security measures.
"Any steps toward normalcy are good for us," she said. "We hope it makes people feel better."
The Visitor Complex will leave its tightened security measures in place, including screening items with metal detectors and banning coolers.
Melbourne International Airport plans to reduce its National Guard presence this weekend, said Jim Johnson, the airport's executive director.
"The additional National Guard troops that were assigned for curbside management will be pulled out on (Sunday) at 8 p.m.," he said. Other guards manning the checkpoints will remain.
NASA will not discuss security measures at its field centers.
"One of the aspects of the heightened security is not talking about security," Johnson Space Center spokesman James Hartsfield said.
Published under license from FLORIDA TODAY. Copyright © 2002 FLORIDA TODAY. No portion of this material may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of FLORIDA TODAY.
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