If you type “Kennedy Space Center” in Google, Pinterest, or any search engine of your choice, I’m sure you’ll get a million posts on families visiting and blogging about it. Now that we have been, I will say that it was THE best “science trip” we’ve taken to date with our family.
Dare I say, it was out of this world…😉
So, after slogging through the crowds of Disney and Universal a few days before, we decided to splurge and pay for the “Fly with an Astronaut” experience because – when would we ever get the chance to have a day with an astronaut and ask all the questions?
So strap in and read along on our adventure to the KSC!
Rocket Garden
The sheer size of these rockets was hard to grasp until you stand right next them.
Can you believe the astronauts sat in this tiny area to wait for lift off – with a rocket literally strapped to their backs!?
Fly with an Astronaut – Dr. Jan Davis
The “Fly with an Astronaut” experience included a bus tour of the two launchpads that KSC and SpaceX uses, Q&A lunch with the astronaut, and a tour of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. We got to hang with her from 8:30-2:30pm!
It was totally worth it to hear an astronaut relive her experience training, preparing, and going into space on multiple missions in a small group of about 40 people.
The bus tour took us to the astronaut quarantine areas where the astronauts go before they take off. This is the site of the historic astronaut photos.
On our tour out to the launchpads we even saw the Space X booster rocket being transported to the launchpad!
Vehicle Assembly Building
The vehicle assembly building that is being used to construct the next Artemis orbiter that is heading to the moon!
To give you perspective – Avery is standing on a replica of the American flag that is painted on the side of the Vehicle Assembly building!
LC-39 Observation Gantry
Our family pic with an Astronaut!
Looking out to the launchpad that will be used for the Artemis missions, LC-39B!
Here is a close up of LC-39B!
Turtle, turtle! 🐢
Lunch with an Astronaut
Dr. Jan Davis spoke about her time training to be an astronaut, how she is a mechanical engineer by degree, the experiments she performed in space growing insulin crystals in zero gravity, and how she flew in space with Mae Jemison. Our tour guide who assisted her was the guy that used to say, “3-2-1 lift off!” and assisted with several missions including Dr. Davis’.
One of my questions to her was what will it take to send a person to Mars and she said that the movie Martian was a good idea of what that could look like. She also agreed that it would be difficult to return a person from Mars and of course I am taking copious notes for book research!
Space Shuttle Atlantis
THE Atlantis orbiter!
Canadarm used for docking with the International Space Station!
Life-size replica of the Hubble telescope
The crew that Dr. Davis was on with Mae Jemison and the Endeavor Mission in 1992.
The plaque commemorating the space shuttle Challenger in 1986
Before we moved on we entered the Shuttle Launch experience that replicated the motion of a space shuttle launch. It did not compare to the Universal rollercoasters we were on the day before but there was a lot of teeth chattering and rattling!
Apollo / Saturn V
Stand under the Saturn V rocket which is the largest rocket ever flown.
A reenactment of the Apollo 8 launch with the real mission control hardware used for that flight.
Touch a moon rock!
The Apollo 14 Capsule
Moon Tree Garden
We could see Launchpad 39A where the SpaceX Falcon 9 would launch that evening from the outside of the Apollo / Saturn V Center. We kept our fingers crossed that we would be able to see a launch that night.
Space X Launch
And so we did… after hearing that the previous two launches had been cancelled and this one delayed, we were doubtful that we would witness a launch on the same day we visited the KSC but…
at exactly 8:21pm we watched the Space X rocket launch from the Jetty Park Launch Viewpoint in Port Canaveral, FL about 10 miles from the KSC.
It was honestly THE best way to end our day at the Kennedy Space Center and despite it not being a manned launch – it gave us such an appreciation for the astronaut’s experience being strapped to the front of a powerful rocket.
It’s safe to say that this day created a “core memory” for my family. When we returned home, my son started brainstorming ways to get a man to Mars! We hope you make a “core memory” too with your family on your visit to the Kennedy Space Center!
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