27 May 2012, Florida, USA – Kennedy Space Centre celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and NASA is offering rare access to areas within the centre to celebrate.
From now till the end of 2012, a special Kennedy Space Centre Up-Close Tour lets you look inside the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), where the Apollo rockets and space shuttles were assembled. The VAB has been off limits to visitors for over 30 years.
Ongoing Rocket Launches
More than 10 launches have been scheduled for 2012 to carry NASA science missions and government satellites, as well as to test commercial space programmes. An Atlas V rocket carrying a satellite was launched 4 May, and next is a demonstration launch of a Falcon 9 rocket by SpaceX, the first mission by a commercial company to travel to and dock with the International Space Station.
50th Anniversary of Kennedy Space Centre
There will be a celebration on 1 July to mark the anniversary of the space centre being officially acknowledged as an operating spaceflight centre under the name Launch Operations Centre which was later changed to John F. Kennedy Space Centre, honouring the president and his vision of Americans landing on the moon.
Save up to 30% on admission, food and merchandise as well as secure access to view the rocket launches with the Kennedy Space Centre’s 50th Gold Admission Package as well a US$50 Annual Pass are available. Click here for more details.
New Home for Space Shuttle Atlantis
Space shuttle Atlantis is expected to move into a new home in July 2013. This fall, Atlantis will move from its processing facility inside the Kennedy Space Centre to the visitor complex for permanent display. Get up close with the 65,000 square-foot exhibit while learning about the 30-year space shuttle programme through a number of hands-on, interactive and immersive mediums.
Kennedy Space Centre Up-Close Tour
Get an insider’s view of the space programme from launch preparation to liftoff from a trained space expert as well as up-close views of rocket and space shuttle launch pads, the interior of the VAB, and the six million-pound crawler-transporters. The opportunity to visit the VAB is offered for a limited time, to a limited number of guests. The tour culminates at the Apolo/Saturn V Centre.
(US$25 for adults and US$19 for children 3 to 11 years old plus tax, in addition to admission)
Cape Canaveral: Then & Now Guided Tour
A narrated, in-depth journey that guides you through the Cape’s 50-year history of space exploration. Visit the Launch Complex 5/6, site of the first two Mercury launches and the birthplace of NASA’s manned space programme as well as the Air Force Space and Missile Museum, the Mercury Memorial, and Launch Complex 19 which is the site of 10 manned mission in two years. The tour ends at Launch Complex 34, site of the 1967 Apollo 1 tragedy where the astronauts perished in a fire during the launch test. you have to be 18 and older and have a valid Photo ID or passport for international visitors to participate. Photography and video are limited to designated tour stops.
(US$25 for adults and US$19 for children 3 – 11 years old plus tax, in addition to admission)
General Admission
General admission includes a regular bus tour that lets you explore the history of the Apollo moon and space shuttle programmes as well as panoramic views of launch pads and stops at the LC-39 Observation Gantry and the Apollo/Saturn V Centre.
- Apollo/Saturn V Centre -Check out the fully restored, massive Saturn V moon rocket as well as the historic launch of Apollo 8 in the Firing Room Theatre and final moments before man landed on the moon in the Lunar Theatre.
- Shuttle Launch Experience – Experience the journey of vertically landing into space and orbiting Earth aboard the space shuttle.
- IMAX Theatres – The two fine-and-a-half-storey tall IMAX screens are the only back-to-back 3D theatres in the world. Catch two films featuring ongoing NASA missions: Space Station 3D and Hubble 3D. Space Station 3D is filmed by 25 astronauts and cosmonauts and narrated by Tom Cruise taking you on a journey of discovery from Earth to the International Space Station. Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, Hubble 3D transports you to distant galaxies to explore the mysteries of space.
- Astronaut Training Experiences (ATX) – Hands-on programme that includes true-to-training simulator exercises and a space shuttle mission simulation aboard a full-scale orbiter mock-up. Reservations are required for this half-day adult ATX Core programme or Family ATX programme.
- Live Space Launches – Experience it for yourself – the noise, vibrations and view.
- Rocket Garden – Seven vintage rockets from Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programmes are displayed here. Check out the Apollo 11 gantry arm and Apollo capsule models as well as the smaller spacecrafts Gemini and Mercury capsules.
- Astronaut Encounter – A half-hour interactive face-to-face encounter with the few who have experienced space travel and hear firsthand what it is like to live in space. This question and answer session also lets you take a picture with the astronaut.
- Lunch with an Astronaut – Dine with a true space hero and learn about the daily life of an astronaut, ask questions and take a photo together with the astronaut.
- US Astronaut Hall of Fame – Features the world’s largest collection of astronaut memorabilia plus stimulating displays, exhibits and tributes to the heroes of Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programmes. The Mercury Sigma 7 capsule and Gemini training capsule are also on display. The newest addition is Science On a Sphere – a three-dimensional journey throughout the solar system. Opens daily from 12pm to 6pm.
- Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge – KSC is an ecological sanctuary encompassed by the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. It is a home to more state and federally-protected wildlife than any other national refuge in America. The 140,000 acres of estuaries, marshes and coastal dunes is home to more than 500 species from manatees to alligators, bald eagles to ospreys, and butterflies to sea turtles. There are five hiking trails from 1/4 mile to five miles long and a seven-mile driving tour.
- Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted – This 10,000 square-foot exhibit lets you discover and explore beyond earth with live theatre, interactive experiences and large-scale multimedia presentations. The main show Explorers Wanted runs twice an hour.
(General Admission is US$45 + tax for adults and US$35 + tax for children ages 3-11. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Commander’s Club Annual Pass is US$58 + tax for adults and US$48 + tax for children ages 3-11. For more information, call 877-313-2610 or visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.)
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