Today we visited the expansive Kennedy Space Center. This is located near Cape Canaveral, so you can see both of the launch pads from the Center. There was actually a launch scheduled for sometime around the 15th of March, but the crew found hail damage on the shuttle. If everything had gone as planned, there would have been a shuttle on the launch pad when we were viewing it from the top of a tall viewing tower. When they were transporting the shuttle back to the launchpad, the journey took over seven hours from launchpad to repair shop! The reason for the long trip is because the shuttle transporter (rightly called the “Crawler”) only goes ½ mile an hour!
After we arrived, we visited the Rocket Garden. This is a display of about seven rockets, with signs depicting the mission, height, weight, and diameter of each craft. There was also information about who flew or piloted each rocket.
Once we finished in the Rocket Garden, we went to the IMAX Theater and watched a movie on the International Space Station. We saw how it was built, piece by piece. Each mission brings a new addition to the laboratory. Here is where many experiments have been done: Grooves in the roads (giving tires better traction in wet conditions), purer drinking water, and advancements in medicine. Once the Space Station is complete, there will be astronauts living up there for months at a time experimenting and exploring the universe.
After the IMAX movie, we boarded a bus and began our tour of Kennedy Space Center. Our first stop was a viewing tower. From the top, you could see all of the NASA buildings, Cape Canaveral, and both of the launchpads. Launchpad A is the one that NASA is using for all of the Space Station Missions.
From the viewing tower, we headed to a building dedicated entirely to the exploration of the moon. We watched a video of the building of the Apollo rockets (the series of rockets which were sent to the moon.) Finally, with seven tries behind them, the engineers at NASA came up with Apollo VIII. This was the only successful mission to the moon, which brought back a moon rock for all of the visitors to touch. We also got to see the room that all of the staff sat in while they watched the Apollo VIII soar into the sky.
After we finished our tour, we rode back to the Visitor Center. We saw the Memorial Walk, with a very large Memorial Wall. Also, from a viewing point, we saw a nine-foot alligator and three turtles. I greatly enjoyed my day at Kennedy Space Center, and am looking forward to sunny Miami!
After we arrived, we visited the Rocket Garden. This is a display of about seven rockets, with signs depicting the mission, height, weight, and diameter of each craft. There was also information about who flew or piloted each rocket.
Once we finished in the Rocket Garden, we went to the IMAX Theater and watched a movie on the International Space Station. We saw how it was built, piece by piece. Each mission brings a new addition to the laboratory. Here is where many experiments have been done: Grooves in the roads (giving tires better traction in wet conditions), purer drinking water, and advancements in medicine. Once the Space Station is complete, there will be astronauts living up there for months at a time experimenting and exploring the universe.
After the IMAX movie, we boarded a bus and began our tour of Kennedy Space Center. Our first stop was a viewing tower. From the top, you could see all of the NASA buildings, Cape Canaveral, and both of the launchpads. Launchpad A is the one that NASA is using for all of the Space Station Missions.
From the viewing tower, we headed to a building dedicated entirely to the exploration of the moon. We watched a video of the building of the Apollo rockets (the series of rockets which were sent to the moon.) Finally, with seven tries behind them, the engineers at NASA came up with Apollo VIII. This was the only successful mission to the moon, which brought back a moon rock for all of the visitors to touch. We also got to see the room that all of the staff sat in while they watched the Apollo VIII soar into the sky.
After we finished our tour, we rode back to the Visitor Center. We saw the Memorial Walk, with a very large Memorial Wall. Also, from a viewing point, we saw a nine-foot alligator and three turtles. I greatly enjoyed my day at Kennedy Space Center, and am looking forward to sunny Miami!
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