Go for Launch

 Day 192 

You ever go someplace not expecting much, only to have your socks blown off when you get there? This is what happens with our visit to the Kennedy Space Centre. When we looked into the Space Centres website, it stated that it would take two days to explore the park. When we arrived, we purchased a one day pass, confident that we would get through the visitors centre in a day. 

When we passed through the gates, we headed straight for the tour buses that takes you over the the main compound. Once on the bus, we passed through security and over to the VAB (vehicle assembly building). This building is larger than it looks on tv, reported to be the largest single-story building in the world. To provide an idea of its size, the flag alone is the size of a US football field, the stars on the American flag are six feet across and the stripes are wide enough for a full sized tour bus to drive on. 

I had hopes the bus would stop for a photo in front of the VAB, but no such luck. The tour continued around the VAB, alongside the control centre and over the gravel road where the MLP (mobile launcher platform) takes the rockets to the launch sites. In the distance you could see launch pads 39A & 39B. It was noted that 39A, now being leased to SpaceX; was being prepared for a launch on The 1st and 2nd of November. 

From there, we headed to the tourist centre that housed the Saturn V rocket and museum of the lunar  landing. This is where we lost our socks, the entrance was set up with a video and then a tour of the actual control room used in the launch, it was so well done, you left emotionally inspired. After the video you entered the main hall to the Saturn V rocket and museum. It took some time to explore the museum before catching the bus back to the main part of the park.

When returned back to the main park, it was shortly after 1:00. We felt we had just arrived when we actually had been here for four hours,  it was becoming clear that one day was not enough time. We took in two more attractions, one being a presentation on the Hubble and James Webb Telescope and the scientific discovers both of these telescopes have uncovered. The second attraction was the Shuttle Atlantis. This attraction had you progress through two rooms, each with a video that left you emotionally energized! Once the second video was complete, the wall rolled up and you were standing in front of the Atlantis, it was so inspirational the way they did it! 🥲. Along with the Atlantis, the attraction had tons of historical artifacts and information that just left you in awe. For the grand finale, the attraction had a launch simulator that would simulate what it was like to be launched aboard a shuttle, we highly recommend it. After the shuttle attraction It was now 4:00 o’clock and we needed to return home to the pups. Disappointed that we had only scene a third of the park, we decided to upgrade our tickets to a two day pass and return next week. 

Kennedy Space Centre. 

Bus tour over to the VAB and the Saturn V museum. 

VAB 

Control Centre. 

Bay doors one and three. 

This is the crawler for the MLP CT-2. The upper section has been demolished and a new platform will be used that will support the weight of NASA’s newest rocket the Artemis.  

First room to the Saturn V museum. 

The second room is the control room used in the Apollo program. 

Through a series of recordings and sound effects, you relive the countdown from six minutes. You really get a “Holy Crap” moment when they reach launch. 

As each station checked in, stating that they were a go, they would press a button that would light up on a massive board overlooking the control room. 

Areas around the world providing information to the control room. 

Saturn V Rocket, first stage rockets. 

Second Stage 

Third Stage.

Not much room in the cockpit. 

Lunar landing module. 

Moon boots 

Shovel and scale used on the Lunar landing. 

Rock samples taken from the moon. 

The final design for the lunar space suits was conceived by trial and error. 

The Apollo 14 capsule.

The Lunar Roving Vehicle. 

Touching a rock from the moon.

Snoopy 😂

We had a little time before our show, so we decided to have some Space Dots ice cream. Big mistake! The ice cream is made by flash freezing it in liquid nitrogen and then kept at a temperature of -40. It was something you are not going to gobble down, and our show started in ten minutes. 

Hubble and Webb Telescope presentation. 

The Atlantis and shuttle museum. 

This attraction also had two rooms you went through before making it into the museum. 

The Atlantis Space Shuttle. 

Yay, Canada! 

The hallways to the different floors were done very creatively. 

Waiting in line to be launched into space. 

The simulator was designed under the direction of  astronauts who have flown missions on the space shuttles. Once you are in your seat, you are tuned 90 degrees so your pointing straight up. From there you listen to control start at the three minute countdown sequence. Other than missing the G-force, they did an amazing job of simulating the feel of a launch. The only thing that would make it better would to throw the screaming kids behind us into space! 😂

Once the launch is complete and you feel the release of the fuel tank from the shuttle, you are rotated almost 180 degrees until you are almost hanging upside down, giving the feeling of weightlessness. Once you stop the roof opens up to show your orbiting the earth… it was so cool!