Kennedy Space Center tour

[keishashadow]

Agree, thought the food was passable, priced about the same as most counter-serve amusement/attraction offerings.

There's so much to see here, you really need more than 1 day. We did purchase the up close tour through the space center directly. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. Particularly interesting was the assembly building where they're working on future projects and the stop by the beach. One plus of the add-on tours are shorter waits in yet another line. You're guaranteed a seat on the bus for the time you select.

There is a very dark tint on the bus windows, which effected our pictures to some degree. Additionally, we centered our vacation around a published satellite launch that never occured. I do think it was one of the highlights of our whole trip.

 

[golfgal]

It'd really be neat to see a night launch. According to an article on CNN, for at least the next two launches, they'll take place during the day so that high res shots can be taken to detect any foam or other debris falling off the external tank.

We'll obviously miss this launch so we'll likely just buy our tickets at the front gate.

We were able to see a night time launch in '96 from our hotel in Downtown Disney. We had the tv on in the room and watched the launch from the balcony of our hotel. It was pretty cool. We are hoping they delay the next launch until we are at Disney, so sometime after May 29th! DS12 is a space nut and wants to work at NASA, so it would be a highlight of his trip!

 

[yogibigdog]

Was there last Thursday. The shuttle is at LC-39B so it is hard to see. You can see some of the external fuel tank but the orbiter itself is not visible. Here is what you can see from the LC-39 Observation Gantry taken with a 10x optical zoom.

Here is a view from the Apollo/Saturn V center

My son was very excited just knowing it was there.

 

[Phrank40]

Took a Kennedy tour I think 5 or so years ago, we were lucky someone in our group knew somebody who knew somebody so we had a NASA avionics engineer (think that is correct) give us the tour, just him and the three of us. Got to ride out to the launch pad and drive around it. I did not know there was a little building the astronauts could slide down to from the shuttle area if there was trouble on the pad. Also got to go into assembly building, and got to stand under the shuttle just a few feet away. Everything is on such a massive scale. Last part of our tour was the room, or rooms, where some of the parts of the International Space Station were being assembled, got a close up look at some items that I guess have been orbiting the earth for a few years. Quite a memorable experience.

Phrank

 

[trypnotic]

Was there last Thursday. The shuttle is at LC-39B so it is hard to see. You can see some of the external fuel tank but the orbiter itself is not visible. Here is what you can see from the LC-39 Observation Gantry taken with a 10x optical zoom.

My son was very excited just knowing it was there.

That's really a bummer There wasn't a good view of the shuttle at any point during the tour? I was really looking forward to seeing it. I should feel lucky that I see anything there at all I suppose!

Edit: removed photos from quote

 

[yogibigdog]

That's really a bummer There wasn't a good view of the shuttle at any point during the tour? I was really looking forward to seeing it. I should feel lucky that I see anything there at all I suppose!

Maybe if you took the Nasa up close tour (see link) you would get a better view. It was already sold out when we arrived. You can buy advance tickets.
http://www.ksctickets.com/nasaupclose.html

Let us know how you do. I know on the standard admission you won't get a better view.

 

[trypnotic]

I've been doing some Google-based research regarding the view you had.

The structure in front of the shuttle which is obstructing the view is the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) which normally isn't planted in front of the shuttle in the photos that we normally see and associate the shuttle on the pad with.

"The RSS accommodates the loading of payloads vertically at the pad. It is mounted on a semi-circular track which allows it to rotate through an arc of 120 degrees on a radius of 36.6 meters (120 ft). The RSS pivots from a hinge on the FSS until the RSS spacecraft changeout room fits flush with the Orbiters's cargo bay. This room allows payloads to be installed or serviced under contamination-free or "clean room" conditions." (reference - http://www.space-shuttle.com/shuttlelc39.htm)

Another article, with specifics about this mission, mentions the RSS being moved away on April 28 in preparation for some testing.

 

[keishashadow]

FYI, the launch has been changed to May 22 @ 1:03 p.m., with a launch window extending thru June 3rd as per KSC. Their email of today indicated that tickets were still available to view the launch.

 

[golfgal]

Any KSC experts know if Sunday or Monday would be a better day to go? I want to buy tickets in advance to do the lunch with an astronaunt but not sure which day to go. Our choices are Sunday, June 5 or Mon June 6th.

 

[HIHO...HIHO]

Ok...so it sounds like the shuttle can be viewed from along the coast...and at WDW? Where is Titusville?
We are going to be at WDW May 20-26, and on the 26th, we hop the Disney Wonder. Maybe we'll be lucky enough to view it? We have lots of ressies made, so we won't be making a special trip to KSC, but if we can see it from WDW or the coast, that would be awesome!

 

[leebee]

HiHo- go to yahoo, click on "maps" and get driving directions from MCO to Titusville. BASICALLY, KSC is located on an island (Merritt Island?), with the Banana River running N/S along the western border of the island. If you head east from WDW and eventually go north on 95, you'll find the Titusville exit(s). There is a state highway that runs right along the Banana River, and that is where the Holiday Inn is located, which is where we watched the last launch from. This puts you ~8 miles from the launch pads, which are directly across the river. You will see the lights/flames/plume from launch from this location, which you WON'T see from the KSC visitor's complex (only tickets avail for on-site at KSC are dinner with an astronaut, which has launch viewing from the KSC visitor's complex). Even though you are a bit further away in Titusville, you will see the entire launching, not just what can be seen once the shuttle clears the tree line (which is what you'll see at the visitor complex, according to the website). Bring your binoculars for spectacular viewing from Titusville. We were able to see a Delta rocket launce from the beach at Cocoa Beach last June, so you definitely should be able to see the shuttle launch from this location, but it'll be "up"...definitely won't see it lift off. I was apprehensive last time about going to Titusville, not sure where to stop, if we could park along the road, etc., so we stayed overnight at the Holiday Inn the night before (10AM launch time). Totally not necessary! Hundreds of folks parked in the hotel parking lots, any parking lot available, and along the edge of the roadway (although I wouldn't with a rental car!), and just walked over to the "backyard" of the hotel, along the river, etc. I personally wouldn't buy a ticket if I could only view the launch from the KSC visitor center- I'd go to Titusville.

New thought...what's over on the east side of the Island? Any viewing spots from the water's edge on that side (not from Cocoa Beach)?

 

[ikarei]

FYI for those those anticipating the May launch, NASA is seriously considering pushing it back to a July launch. It doesn't seem like a May launch is likely anymore due to some problems found during testing..though the problems found are relatively minor, they would have to rollback the shuttle to the VAB to repair them.

http://cbsnews.cbs.com/network/news/space/current.html

(only tickets avail for on-site at KSC are dinner with an astronaut, which has launch viewing from the KSC visitor's complex).

This is true, though when I went to the ticket website to view how many more tickets they had in stock, the link to buy the tickets for that package leads to nowhere, which why I am guessing that it isn't sold out yet. The tickets to view the launch from the causeway sold out the first day they went on sale and it took a few weeks to sell out the other tickets.

 

[ikarei]

FYI for the May Launch, looks like NASA has decided to do a rollback of the shuttle to the VAB and the launch will be delayed to July:

http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-04-29T011837Z_01_N28124854_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-SPACE-SHUTTLE-DC.XML

Bummer, I was really looking forward to seeing it soon! Good thing I did not have plans set in stone.

 

[trypnotic]

That's a huge bummer! I was hoping to see it on the pad I had decided to do the up-close tour but maybe I should wait for another time?? Unless I'd get to see the shuttle bits in the VAB - it'd still be pretty neat.

Again, its a bummer that they're delaying the launch but we certainly don't want to see another Columbia disaster

 

[mulanrouge]

Does anyone know how long of a drive it is from Orlando to KSC? Just wondering how much time to schedule for driving there. Thanks

 

[keishashadow]

FYI, target launch date for shuttle now July 13, with window thru July 31st. Tickets to view launch still available as per e-mail I received from KSC today.

 

[ikarei]

Does anyone know how long of a drive it is from Orlando to KSC? Just wondering how much time to schedule for driving there. Thanks

About 45 minutes to 1 hour

FYI, target launch date for shuttle now July 13, with window thru July 31st. Tickets to view launch still available as per e-mail I received from KSC today.

It looks like all the tickets to view from the visitors center are sold out. They now put out a new ticket package to view from the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

http://www.ksctickets.com/kennedyspacecenter/ltt.html

 

[snod911]

If anyone has any maximum access launch tickets that they can't use for sale, I'm interested in 2. I'm checking now to find out whether they're transferable. Please let me know if you're interested in selling any. Thanks!

John

 

[gjw007]

If anyone has any maximum access launch tickets that they can't use for sale, I'm interested in 2. I'm checking now to find out whether they're transferable. Please let me know if you're interested in selling any. Thanks!

John

I sent you an email.

 

[Trish100]

Honestly, do you need to be really into space and stuff to enjoy KSC? I have to admit I'm not all that fussed on going but I have a sneaky feeling in the back of my mind that I might be missing out. Anyone who wasn't a space fan been and enjoyed it more than they thought they would??