Kennedy Space Center

This morning we left the RV about 8:00 and drove north up A1A to SR 528 and then north on SR 3 to the entrance to the Kennedy Space Center - about a 35 minute drive. After parking our car we presented the "tickets" we had purchased at the Patrick AFB Ticket Office and they were exchanged for the official Kennedy Space Center tickets. We picked up a Visitor Guide at Information Central and started to plan out our visit for today.

From Kennedy Space Center

The bus tours start at 10 a.m. and we decided to go on the first tour. After browsing through some of the exhibits & gift shops, we got in line for the Space Center Tour. During our bus ride out to the Apollo/Saturn V Center, our bus driver told us about the history of KSC and about some of the exhibits we would see on the tour. Because a Falcon 9 rocket is to be launched today, one of the normal stops on the tour (the LC-39 Observation Gantry) will not be visited today.

After about a 15-20 minute bus ride, we arrived at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Our tour began in the Firing Room Theater that re-creates an Apollo launch. When we exited the theater, the first thing we saw was a 363 foot moon rocket - the Saturn V. This is a fully restored Saturn V and 1 of 3 only remaining in the world. The Saturn V rockets carried our astronauts to the moon and back home safely.

From Kennedy Space Center

The Lunar Theater is a second theater in the Saturn V Center that depicts the first moon landing. That brought back memories of watching the moon landing on TV. I can remember sitting in the family room of Mike's parent's house watching the moon landing. I was pregnant with our son, Fletcher, and Mike was soon to be leaving to go to Viet Nam. We all had our eyes glued to the TV to see the landing and to see man walk on the moon!

The Apollo Treasures Gallery  in the Saturn V Center has items from the Apollo moon missions


- we saw Alan Shepard's lunar spacesuit - there is still moon dust on the boots!

From Kennedy Space Center

We saw the "Kitty Hawk" - the Apollo 14 command module.

From Kennedy Space Center

We exited the Saturn V Center a few times to watch the Falcon 9 rocket launch, but the launch kept getting delayed. The staff at the Center kept giving update announcements about the launch. (The rocket was launched after we left the KSC, so we didn't get to see it).

We stopped for a snack at the Moon Rock Cafe and then got on the bus for the next stop on the tour - the International Space Station Center. Here the components for the Space Station are prepared for the Space Station.

From Kennedy Space Center

We were able to walk through some modules that show how the astronauts live and work on the Space Station. We saw a habitation module, sleep quarters and toilet just to name a few.

When we returned to Visitor Complex we stopped at a full-size replica of the shuttle "Explorer".

From Kennedy Space Center

Our last stop for the day was at the Shuttle Launch Experience. We attended the 3 p.m. "launch". After a pre-launch briefing, we entered the crew cabin, strapped ourselves in and waited for "lift off". The simulator recreates the sounds, G-forces and sensations of an actual shuttle launch. The "flight" continues with the separation of the Solid Rocket Booster, main engine cut-off, and External Tank separation. As we entered "orbit", the payload doors opened and we have a view of the Earth from space. All too soon our flight ended and we re-entered the earth's atmosphere and had a successful landing. What a way to end our first visit to the Kennedy Space Center!

We stopped at McDonald's in Cocoa Beach for a couple of their Angus burgers for dinner before heading back to the RV. When we got back home, we saw one of the Great Blue Heron chicks out walking around the campground.

From Kennedy Space Center

We had a great time today and look forward to going back tomorrow.