Kennedy Space Center

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(Titusville, Florida)

We left Miami on Wednesday, and plan to arrive in Keystone Heights on Saturday.

We spent the interim at Titusville, just across the river from Kennedy Space Center, in Titusville.

We were on our way to Kennedy Space Center, with a quick stop at Merritt Island, which is a wildlife preserve just off the KSC property. We didn’t think we’d want to spend much time there, but we were wrong, and several hours later we decided KSC would be a trip for the next day. Merritt Island is open to the public except during launch days. They’ve developed trails that explain the different plants, which is something we haven’t had (or taken) the time to study. We also watched birds and water animals, but mostly plants. The whole time we’ve been here we’ve never seen manatees, so we drove to an area where manatees are sometimes spotted, and sure enough we watched on swimming down the river and into the area where the water backed up into pools that were warm. As huge as the manatees are, when we spotted the first one swimming in it barely rippled the water. The only way I saw it coming was by watching a gentle ripple coming down the channel; the train-car size animal didn’t surface until it got past us, and then it pulled into another shallow area that had sun shining on it, and he just laid there for a while, and then headed on down the channel. That’s probably a pretty boring description, but it was fascinating to watch because he was so huge, and yet so coordinated in the water. We later saw two more swimming underwater.

I can’t even describe how thrilling it was to visit the space center, and see the operations that I’ve watched on TV for so many years. They give a wonderful tour, and for one ticket price (the same price as Dollywood, coincidentally) you are able to take bus tours all over the grounds. The buses take you to a stop, and drop you off for as long as you want to stay there, then you catch the next bus and head to the next stop. One stop was watching a movie on the history of space exploration, and then viewing the original control center, one was showing the Saturn rocket program, one we got as close to the two launch pads as possible (without being “someone”!), one was touring the space station, where we got to go through a real size model, and we also got to tour a space shuttle that was used for training. It was incredible. And then there were three Imax theatres, a space ride that simulates the g-force and shaking that takes place during a launch, and about half a dozen gift shops…all included for our general admittance ticket. We were so tired and filled with so much information after one day that we wished we had another day to spend there~~and the good news is that the second day was only $12! But we didn’t have a second day~~poor planning on our part. 😞

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Photos

Discovery awaiting launch
to the International Space Station. It's now scheduled for March 12, and we're hoping it happens then, because we're in an ok position to watch it.

How many times have we seen this on tv?
Looking across Indian River toward the launch pads at Kennedy Space Center.

The building where the space shuttle
is prepared for its next mission. The doors are so tall because the shuttle is attached to the crawler (which will take it to the launch site) and must be able to exit the building standing upright. The doors on the other side of the building are built for it to enter in a horizontal position. This is the third largest building in the world, by volume. Boeing is the very largest, and I haven't researched to see what's second.

A model of the shuttle in launch position.
The shuttle is taken out to the launch site on the crawler, and takes eight hours to travel from its hangar to the launch pad. The shuttle is taken to the launch pad 30 days before the scheduled launch.

This looks so much like a Shuttle
that has flown, but it's a mock up. It's the same size as a real one.

Another shot of the Shuttle, but look
at the rainbow in this one! It didn't rain where we were, but what an awesome picture.

Rocket engines on the Shuttle's fuel tanks.
Last year when we were at Griffith Observatory I took a picture from directly underneath one of these engines. Here you get the whole shot!

Inside the cargo bay.
We were on another platform that was above a cargo bay with the doors open, and they're shiny like aluminum foil. The satellite is a model of one that was taken up, so that gives you some idea of the size of the cargo bay. Well really it doesn't, but it's big...real big!

Sleeping quarters--
where they velcro themselves up against the wall! The chair also has tie-downs.

The Lunar Lander.
Doesn't it look like something thrown together in someone's garage?! The goal is to be back on the moon within the next ten years.

The Mars Rovers, which are still
working. In this exhibit they were moving, and we got to watch them crawl over the rocks.

Comments

[bev]

I am glad you enjoyed the center. Rich thought he would like to do that. Me not so much. Enjoy your travel days. I love hearing about your adventures!!

[Danielson]

Hi, Bev!
We did enjoy it. Thanks so much for coming to see us in Miami...it meant a lot to both of us. Love you.......Vicki

[Patti]

Wow!
You are so the ever best tour guide yourself! Thank you for the wonderful pics and narration.

[Danielson]

Hi, Patti!
It was one of our favorite places--although that list is very long! We're really really hoping for a March launch, and I'm wondering if it would be helpful for me to call NASA and give them my recommendation! What do you think?!

[Sara!]

Fascinating!