Monday, March 9, 2015

Kennedy Space Center, Apollo center and launch pad

Kennedy Space Center May 2014

Continuing through our space tour we visited the Apollo Center (after having abandoned this draft for months-opps!).  I loved that you get to see the actual command center.  The movie they have put together is stirring, not cheesy and the information is well presented.


The command center
Once again-huge!


The informational displays are excellent

still not able to get over how much engineering goes into these things!

Moon rocks!

They let you touch the moon rocks!

I don't remember when I first learned about mission patches-they have been part of the military a long time-but it is such a great idea!  I would love to read a history of them...note to self, track that down, it must exist.

To get out to the Apollo Center you take the bus, which is actually big fun because you get to pass the launch pad and buildings on the way, complete with commentary. 


They house and prepare the rocket in this building

and then drive it out on this gravel road (it takes almost a whole day just to move it)

which is special gravel that has no shaking or sparking, it is like 8 ft deep

to the launch pad.  Such engineering!  Take the bus tour!

There is another whole building that houses Atlantis
They have the hatch open to show how the arm swings out into space.

 The engineering is just as impressive but the displays are a bit...soulless? compared to others.

But you should go anyway because they let you crawl through like an astronaut :)