The most famous was Apollo 11 led by Commander Neil Armstrong and pilots Buzz Aldrin & Michael Collins. Learning about the various Apollo missions was fascinating. You hear the sounds from outside as the whole room shakes and windows rattle with the force of the take off, it’s tense but very exciting! You experience the excitement and concern that the mission controllers must have felt. Consoles are highlighted by lights as you hear the audio of that section. The whole control room comes to life as screens turn on and flash. In front of us are the actual consoles used during the Apollo launches.Īs the seconds countdown to the launch the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Kennedy’s goal was accomplished on July 20th 1969 when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon.įirst up is the story of Apollo 8 in the Firing Room Theatre – where we experienced the thrill of the countdown to the launch of Apollo 8, which was the the first manned mission to orbit the Moon and return to Earth. Kennedy in 1963 to announce the Apollo Moon Program – his pledge to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to the Earth by the end of the 1960s. America was now behind in the ‘Space Race’ and the early success by the Soviets forced President John F. The Soviet Union were first to launch a satellite, Sputnik in 1957 and first to put a man into space in 1961, remember this time in history was a fierce competition between the U.S. The bus tour finishes at the Apollo/Saturn V Center which tells the fascinating story of America’s race to the moon. Apollo/Saturn V Center – The Race To The Moon The Earth’s rotation is faster nearer the equator which means it can help slingshot rockets quicker into Space.Ģ. NASA chose the previously occupied Cape Canaveral Air Force base and their current location on Merritt Island because of Florida’s closer proximity to the equator. When the Space Shuttle used to land here the runway had to be cleared of alligators basking in the sunshine! The Kennedy Space Center is also a wildlife preserve so look out for alligators and other wildlife in this area, we saw lots of alligators and some Bald Eagles. We were lucky enough to get a glimpse inside as the doors were open! It was really difficult to gauge the scale, however we did spot a tiny person in a yellow jacket which helped, this building is enormous!Īlligators and wildlife at The Kennedy Space Center The 45 minute bus tour makes you feel the history of America‘s Space Program, as the journey takes you into the restricted areas of NASA and drives past real life working facilities like the legendary and super tall Vehicle Assembly Building. Plan to spend around 2-3 hours for the bus tour and the Apollo/Saturn V Center (where the bus tour ends). We arrived early (8.30am) after the airport style security we headed straight to the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour to guarantee ourselves the shortest queue (or lines as American’s call them). Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour – Lift Off! The Kennedy Space Center is just North of Cape Canaveral (even those two words sound exciting!) and drum up memories of us watching live shuttle launches on TV. We love learning new things when travelling and we can tell you the Kennedy Space Center is a real education, as there’s so much to do so be prepared! We’ve listed the main attractions we managed to fit in a day and the best order you should do them when visiting.ġ0 Best Attractions at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center 1. It’s just 42 miles and takes about an hour to drive, the motorway has a toll but our hire car included the SunPass toll so you can whizz through the express lane. Located on Florida’s ‘Space Coast’ the Kennedy Space Center proved to be an easy day trip from our base in nearby Orlando.
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