If you're visiting Florida and you've visited other Disney Theme Parks and Universal Studios in Anaheim or other parts of the world, you may want to prioritize visiting the Kennedy Space Center for a different kind of experience. The interactive displays, videos, simulators, etc. would also give you a similar magical vibe except that all of them are reality-based - humans orbiting the earth, humans landing on the moon, man-made robots roving in Mars, and a lot of other unthinkable and mind-blowing possibilities which man has made possible. At the end of the visit, one (regardless of age) would be inspired to dream boldly and be greater than average (which is one of NASA's popular messages written in an equation form 😅).
What's there to see at the Kennedy Space Center?
At the complex entrance, you'll be greeted by the iconic NASA globe and the giant timer which displays the countdown until the next rocket launch. The next takeoff is scheduled on Jan 11, 2020 for a SpaceX Falcon 9 Test (uncrewed). So if you're scheduled to visit the complex then, you could witness a real rocket launch.😮
I've never imagined I would meet a real-life astronaut someday but I did while I was there. The tour I booked had an exclusive meet & greet at the start of the tour so what a way to kick off the visit. It was just 10 minutes though so not enough time to ask a lot of questions.
It's fascinating to hear an astronaut's story like what inspired one to become an astronaut, what was the experience in space like, how did one adjust once back on earth, etc. so when I learned that there was another astronaut encounter scheduled in the afternoon, I decided to forego an IMAX show in favor of going to the astronaut session coz I was thinking I could always look up NASA videos online but not get another chance to hear a live Q&A with an astronaut. Besides, it's such a delight to watch both kids and adults ask questions such as:
How do you sleep when there's no gravity?
How do you do no. 2 in space?
How did you feel the first time you went on a mission?
Did you feel differently when you went on your second mission?
How long did it take you to gain back the weight you've lost while in space?
Very educational and amusing. I didn't just enjoy listening to the Q&A but also enjoyed watching the kids' faces light up in awe. 😍
At the end of the session, there's also an opportunity to have a photo taken with the astronaut.
BTW, did you notice the 3 patches on the jacket of the astronaut? Those have significance - each patch was specially-designed and it represents a mission an astronaut has been part of - this means Mark has been part of 3 missions. The patch contains the name of the mission, the year it took place and the names of all the astronauts part of the mission. The photo below shows some mission logo designs.
Anyway, other than meeting an astronaut what's there to see at the Kennedy Space Center?
Rockets from NASA’s Mercury, Apollo, and Gemini programs are displayed in this outdoor exhibit called the Rocket Garden. There are also walking tours available throughout the day in the Rocket Garden.
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| The Rocket Garden |
When you enter, you'll get to watch a moving documentary about how NASA tried, failed, tried and finally succeeded in creating a re-usable orbiter. Then the curtain opens to reveal the actual Atlantis space shuttle. 😱
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| Atlantis orbiter |
Within the Atlantis building, there are a lot of other interesting things on display like -
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| Hubble Space Telescope |
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| Control Panel of a Space Shuttle - that's just one side of it!😮 |
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| A treadmill designed for space use 💪 |
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| A toilet bowl - imagine you have to strap your legs and lock your thighs to stay put😱 |
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| Shuttle pantry - where you need to strap your food containers with velcro. |
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| Bedroom - to sleep, you get inside the white cover on the left and strap yourself |
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| Astrovan - the official bus that brings astronauts to the launch pad |
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| A small scale model of the Atlantis orbiter with the rocket boosters and external tank still intact |
While in the Atlantis Building, another highlight is the Shuttle Simulator which what veteran NASA astronauts call “the next best thing to flying aboard a space shuttle”. With this, you’ll experience a pre-launch briefing by a shuttle commander and then you'll be strapped into seats to simulate an 8.5 minute ascent into orbit. It mimics the 17,500-mph liftoff of a NASA shuttle orbiter.😱 How does it feel? The speed of vibration was so fast and I was thinking my brain would be so shaken up that I would have amnesia after the ride. 😅😂
Then there's a bus ride that goes around the NASA complex. You will come close to the massive Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) which is the final assembly point for space shuttles and external fuel tanks and rocket boosters.
I know the building doesn't look massive in the photo I took from the bus but do you know how massive it is? The building covers 8 acres!😱 The VAB high bay doors are the largest in the world at 456 feet high and it takes about 45 minutes to completely open or close the door. And the flag that you see is the largest American flag - it's 209-foot-tall and 110-foot-wide. 😱
The bus would also take you around the launch sites including Launch Pad 39A of Space X.
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| Launch Pad 39A of Space X |
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| Launch Pad 39A of Space X |
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| Viewing deck for takeoffs |
During the bus tour, you might also spot some animals like alligators, turtles and eagles since there are several habitats within the complex.
The bus tour ends at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The giant hall houses the Saturn V rocket with exhibit of all Apollo missions.
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| Saturn V rocket that took Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon |
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| Actual piece of moon rock you can touch |
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| Apollo 14 command module Kittyhawk |
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| Kittyhawk's door up close - look at all those mechanisms😱 |
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| Lunar Roving Vehicle |
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| Snapshot of Mission Rules - the complete list is composed of thousands of possible scenarios😱 |
After the bus tour, I still had time to drop by Journey to Mars, listen to a short NASA talk and check out these Mars Rovers -
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| Spirit Rover - first rover to climb hills and found signs of past water |
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| Curiosity Rover - it grinds rock samples and could identify what they are made of. Wow. |
My last stop was at the Heroes and Legends' Hall which is situated nearest the entrance/exit. It is dedicated to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.
The visit starts with video footages of individuals of various ages who define the qualities of their heroes and identify who their heroes are (parents, teachers, superheroes and yes, some have named astronauts as their heroes). It ends with a 4D multi-sensory show that features America's earliest space missions to interviews with the U.S. Astronauts Hall of Famers. Very inspiring.
Two astronauts whose stories I have read (and also the story of the astronaut in the NASA session and some US Astronauts Hall of Famers) became astronauts because they looked up to specific astronaut heroes when they were kids. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the kids who have visited the Kennedy Space Center would end up becoming astronauts someday or be inspired to invent something out of today's science fiction coz after all, walking on the moon used to be found only in sci-fi comicbooks. 😉
