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Published: March 18th 2009
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Arriving at the Visitor Center
The entranceway to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center is impressive with the shuttle in the back ground. February 18, 2009
The day dawned clear but cool, only about 55 degrees Fahrenheit. We were on the road with the motor home by 08:00, arriving at Cape Canaveral just before 09:00.
It was very exciting as we got closer and closer to the Cape. Thank heavens for our GPS because there were not many billboards announcing its location. As we drove up the Cheney Highway and then Columbia Boulevard we saw the Astronaut Hall of Fame. Finally we arrived at the gates to NASA and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex,.... an amazing facility! Even the entry way gave a stimulating glimpse of what was to come over the course of the day.
We bought our rather expensive tickets (good for two days even though we could only visit for one), and entered the gates. For security purposes we had to pass through a metal detector and then prove that our camera and cell phone were in working order. A reasonable request, I thought. Unlike Busch Gardens, we were allowed to bring food and liquid onto the grounds. This saved us quite a bit of money because all the food establishments were expensive. The sandwiches, Florida oranges, soft
Space Walk Display
Above the ticket booths are two space suits posed to simulate astronauts conducting space walks, .... or maybe there were actually security guards in there? drinks, and water in my back pack were plenty to keep us from being hungry all day.
The first exhibit we toured was the "
Shuttle Launch Experience." Before entering the building we had to store all of our belongings in a locker. Once inside, we were shown a video that explained all the steps of a launch and many of the things that could go wrong. Then those who wanted to experience what a launch would be like, (without the G-forces), were ushered into a room that looked like the payload hold of the shuttle. Not being a 'ride' person, Mommy was too afraid to go on it but Nathanael marched right into the simulation. Mom watched the proceedings via closed circuit television in another room with another woman who was, surprisingly, also from Ottawa, Ontario. Small world. And Nathanael thought the ride was great.
Next we toured the shuttle Explorer, walking up several levels to enter both the payload hanger and the cockpit. We even saw the Canad'arm secured in its stationery position. The shuttle weighs 120,000 tons. We checked out the launch countdown pavilion which gave us an up-to-date status of the next launch. We also
Shuttle Launch Experience
This was Nathanael's favourite part of the day. Unfortunately my camera was in the locker so I couldn't get a picture of him strapped into his launch chair. visited the Astronauts Memorial which was dedicated May 9, 1991 "
as a tribute to men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice believing the conquest of space was worth the risk of life."
The IMAX theatre presentations were in 3-D format and they were
amazing!! The first movie we saw was narrated by Tom Hanks and was about the lunar landing. It seemed like we could reach out and touch the lunar surface or the controls in the lunar lander. The clouds of dust that were thrown up when landing were so realistic.
We took the tour bus to all the outlying exhibits and we learned so much about the Space Center. For example, the whole center is 147,000 acres, that's 220 square miles. It is not only home to NASA but is an animal preserve, as well. There are 500 species of animals living within the grounds and they boast 16 active bald eagle nests. We got to see one on the bus ride, as well as several alligators, white herons, and armadillos. One alligator is affectionately called "Bud." We couldn't find out why.
We first passed the Vehicle Assembly Building. It is the largest single
The Shuttle Explorer
Nathanael wanted to climb over everything in this shuttle. We were proud to see the Canad'arm. story building in the world because the shuttle stands upright on its launch pad inside the building. The structure is four times the height of the Statue of Liberty and is eight acres in size. When they move the pad and shuttle from the building to the launch area, it takes five hours to make the four-mile trip along the "crawlway." That road is eight lanes wide and has seven inches of concret. The "crawler" itself weighs six million pounds and it then carries the 12 million pounds of the shuttle and its payload. The runway where the orbiter lands is the longest in the USA and it is 18 inches thick.
We stopped at the hanger where the Saturn V rocket is displayed with a history of all the Saturn launches. We could walk under the rocket and examine all its sections. At 363 feet, it is the longest rocket the United States ever built. We watched a video recreation of the Apollo 8 launch and walked through the actual firing room with all the launch consoles and data screens. It had been disassembled and recreated in this building.
There was a moon rock, too, but it
The Vehicle Assembly Building
The largest single storied building in the world! was behind glass. It would have been really cool to touch it.
We toured the Orbiter Processing Facilities, as well as the Banana Creek Viewing Area, the International Space Station Building and the Environmental Health Facility. NASA is not only interested in space but actively works on inventions that will make everyday life and health better. We got to see the shuttle which is sceduled to be launched in the next couple of weeks sitting on the pad.
When we returned to the Visitor Complex we continued to walk the grounds. Nathanael had a great time in the "Robot Scouts" building learning how robot computers are sent out into space to do things that are not safe for humans. They scout new planets and relay back information that will help NASA prepare to send manned flights in the future.
The
Constellation Sphere Plaza was amazing!! A perfectly spherical black stone, with all the constellations engraved into it, floats on a fountain of water. The stone must way at least a ton yet we could change its rotation by pushing on it.
The second 3-D IMAX movie was narrated by Tom Cruise. It was all about the
Ready to Go
The latest shuttle sitting on the launch pad. An impressive sight. International Space Station and was even better than the first movie. When the astronauts propelled themselves through the corridors of the space station, it looked like they were coming right at us. And when they sprayed water into the air, it looked like we should be able to reach out and grab the droplets.
The Space Shop was a huge attraction to Nathanael, and it took a lot of willpower to say "no" to my excited little guy. We did pick up some post cards and a few souvenirs but cooler minds had to prevail.
The sun was setting and the center was going to close, but we couldn't leave without seeing the "
Rocket Garden." There were numerous vintage rockets propped up on end as if they were growing out of the ground. Nathanael thought it was "way cool!!!"
As we exited the Kennedy Space Center and drove back to Port Orange we thanked God for the wonderful day and experiences we had been able to enjoy together. When we see the vastness of space in all of its glory, we can truly appreciate the beautiful world He created for us. We arrived at Our Savior's church
A Piece of the Moon
This lunar rock was encapsulated in a clear silicon. Oh, how we would have loved to have touched it! well after dark and poor Nathanael was very tired. We hooked up our electricity, quickly brushed our teeth and hit the hay.
Our next blog will cover our trip from Port Orange to Tucson. Thankfully we made the journey without incident and our RV kept us in good stead. Bye for now everyone. It's difficult for me to get on line but I'll do my best to update this blog in a more timely fashion.
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Lynnette
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Nathe Blasts Off!
Hi - sure looks like you two had a blast on this day at this wonderful Space Center. I would like to go there some day and see that. I'm looking forward to more of the places that you will visit so I know whether or not they are worth the effort to visit. Blessings on your travel, Lynnette