Kennedy Space Center, Florida - Launchpads, Shuttle, Rockets, Lunar Module

Launchpad, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

At the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, you can get a close-up view of the Saturn rockets used for the Apollo programme, walk around a replica space shuttle, and see the launchpads where they blasted off into orbit, the Vehicle Assembly Building where they were prepared for launch, an amazingly flimsy Lunar Landing Module, a Moon Buggy and lots more.

A Whole Day Needed to See Kennedy Space Center
It's easy to spend a whole day at the Space Center without running out of things to see. The 2-hour bus tour, with stops at various attractions, is included for the standard admission price, but the one which takes you close to the launchpads is extra.

Arrive Early for a Close View of a Launchpad
If you want a close view of a launchpad you need to arrive early as this tour sells out quickly. I don't usually like tours, but there's no other way to get around the sprawling complex.

Here are the main attractions:

Space Shuttle
Walk right up to a full-size replica of a shuttle and even underneath it. Nearby are an external fuel tank and the twin solid rocket boosters used to launch the shuttle. It's difficult to imagine how big these are until you're next to them. Even the boosters are enormous.

Saturn Rockets
These gigantic rockets can be seen in the open air and in a huge building, mounted on supports so that you can walk underneath. The burners are massive and the rockets stretch away into the distance.

Lunar Landing Module
It seems incredible that astronauts risked their lives by descending to the moon in something as small and insubstantial as the lunar landing module, with its spindly legs and protective thermal foil which looks like kitchen foil.

Moon Buggy or Lunar Rover
This is a bit like an uncomfortable-looking golf buggy with dish antenna mounted at the back. The dish was used by the Apollo astronauts to transmit TV signals directly from the Moon Buggy to Earth.

Space Station Mockup
If you've ever wondered what space station toilets were like, this is where you'll find out. There's also a replica of a shower.

Vehicle Assembly Building
The rockets and shuttles were assembled here before being trundled along the track to the launch pad. Originally known as the Vertical Assembly Building, it's the largest single-story building in the world.

Launchpads
These can be seen in the distance from an observation platform even if you don't take the extra tour of the launch areas.

Mission Control
Enter a re-creation of the Mission Control Center (originally called Mercury Control) used for the early flights in the 1960s.

Rocket Park
Tall rockets such as Atlas and Titan, which first put NASA astronauts into space, are mounted pointing skywards. There are also the tiny Mercury, Gemini and Apollo capsules, which will give you an idea of just how cramped the quarters of the early astronauts were.

Shuttle Launch Simulation
In a tall building designed to look like the actual Space Shuttle facilities, you can strap in and experience the sights, sounds and sensations of a Space Shuttle launch.

Stay in Cocoa Beach,  Titusville or Orlando Overnight
The Kennedy Space Center is a four- or five-hour drive from Miami, so it could be advisable to stay overnight at Cocoa Beach (about an hour away) or Titusville (slightly closer) and arrive at the Space Center when it opens at 9 am.

My wife and I stayed in Orlando (an hour and a half's drive), and arrived later than this. Although the bus tours don't start till 10 am, the ones which take you close to the launchpads were already booked up.

Directions to Kennedy Space Center in Google Transit
Driving directions to Kennedy Space Center, plus detailed maps, can be downloaded from Google Transit by clicking on the link in the right-hand sidebar of this blog.

If you need help on how to use Google Transit, read the following post: Directions in Miami - Walking, Driving, Bike, Buses & Trains.

Annual Passes for Space Center
Admission is $41 for an adult or $31 for a child (3 to 11). The tour of the launch areas is $21 or $15 extra. Online booking is possible, provided you can print the tickets.

Annual passes are available – a money-saving option for South Florida residents likely to return several times with visitors.

Take a Picnic
There is a restaurant, but not all that interesting, so you might prefer to take a picnic.