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Kennedy Space Center

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First Stage of a Saturn 5 Rocket

While waiting for a weather window for our last leg, we visited the Kennedy Space Center and it was quite amazing. They have an actual Saturn 5 rocket, the rocket used to go to the moon, opened up in sections. Also, the space shuttle Atlantis is on display. The bus tour drives around several of the launch pads, including the one that launched the moon missions and many (or all?) of the shuttle missions.

The launch we saw the other night from the ocean was from a separate launch pad, there are many launch sites on the cape. At the Visitor Center, ghe astronauts are front and center and promoted as quite heroic, which I guess they are in a sense. I never thought of them as heroes, I was mainly envious of them as a kid.

I really enjoyed the technical aspects of the NASA programs, being the nerd that I am. BTW, we used Uber to get there and back, amazingly efficient! It was a very worthwhile tour, especially given the industrial urban area where we are docked, nothing much to see on a walking tour.

Planning on heading south tomorrow on another overnight trip. There are no stopping places between here and our next destination and we estimate a 13 hour trip. We can leave and arrive in daylight if we travel overnight yet again. I’m not a fan of the overnight voyages but it’s better and far less hazardous than the ICW!

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Launch Vehicle Assembly Building – Largest building in the Country


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Comments

  • Grant says:

    Hello. Just read Playing for Real and 14er Disasters, 2nd ed. Enjoyed them both very much and have a great appreciation for what SAR does.

    Have been to KSC twice. Got to watch/hear/feel STS-130 night launch from the Press Site. Awesome experience!!