Kennedy Space Center – Cape Canaveral, Florida

The entrance to Kennedy Space Center

Growing up in the UK, Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Centre were mythical places full of exciting rockets and spaceships. Cape Canaveral has been the launch site for manned space missions since 1968, so I’d imagined them to be secretive bases in the middle of nowhere, guarded by stern men with dogs and guns.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that an hour outside of Orlando you can book tickets and get reasonably wide ranging access to the spaceport.

Our motel had arranged tickets, so we breezed past the reasonably long queues straight to the empty office for reserved ticket holders. We were handed a map and a couple of tickets for extra attractions, then walked straight into the Rocket Garden.

Kennedy Space Center Rocket Garden

Rocket Garden

The Rocket Garden is an impressive array of space vehicles, from the early unmanned flights all the way through to a hulking Saturn rocket – the style that got Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon.

Saturn V

Helpful signs explain each rocket and show the names of astronauts that rode in them. Many are identifiable from the training scenes in films like The Right Stuff or Apollo 13.

Saturn V Gantry, used to board the rocket

Apollo command module, used by the astronauts to return to earth

Saturn V

There’s a movie theatre showing a couple of IMAX Films about the Hubble Space Telescope which are all very beautiful, but far more intriguing was the rocket launch simulator. After an extremely long safely briefing we were strapped into a padded chair and gently shaken about a bit whilst the floor tilts up and down.

Shuttle Launch Pad

Vehicle Assembly Building – One of the largest buildings in the world, this is where the Solid Rocket Boosters, External Fuel Tank and orbiter are combined to create the space shuttle vehicle.

The highlight for me was the tour of the grounds beyond the visitor centre. A bus took us past the Vehicle Assembly Building and to a hangar containing another Saturn V, this time deconstructed into its various stages (which I could still name from my schoolbooks). As a child the shuttle programme was in full swing, but still the most famous rocket was this Saturn V and it’s fragile lunar module. There’s also an array of space suits and vehicles including the lunar buggy.

Saturn V rockets

Lunar module from the Saturn V moon landings

Lunar rover

Unfortunately we missed the arrival of the new Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit by a matter of days. In its place was an Angry Birds Space Exhibit…

Kennedy Space Center Tips

Tickets are $50 per person, plus $10 parking. Buy tickets in advance for a healthy discount – our hotel was doing a two-for-one offer.

The gift shop has some interesting items, but I’d suggest giving the very overpriced restaurant a miss. My $6 pretzel was very tasty, but it pains me to pay $6 for a bread roll.

Despite the entrance queues, it didn’t seem too busy inside so it was easy enough to wander in and around the various displays. Even the rides and tours only required a few minutes queuing and always had entertaining safely videos to keep waiting passengers occupied.

The map that give you at the beginning isn’t really necessary – there are signs and maps on the wall everywhere.

Website: http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/

Hopefully related posts:

Swimming with Manatees – Homosassa, Florida New Year’s Eve Fireworks at Seattle’s Space Needle Manatee Park and a few thoughts on Hidden Gems – Florida Cape of Good Hope – Cape Town, South Africa