As you might know, I'm also very interested in astronomy and space exploration and topics in general.
So one of the places I was very excited to visit was a Kennedy Space Center. There is the visitor Center that is a museum for people to see many different rockets and also shuttles and much other stuff. Then there is also a center itself that is closed to visitors but you can get a special tour inside if you are willing to pay generously of course. Since I was in Florida, I needed to see as much as possible. I bought a tour that included access to building sites, getting near to launch pads and inside the Saturn V rocket center. Oh and also a private guide to explain everything you see.
First, we went to the Visitor Center to meet up with our guide. There were 6 other people who had also bought the tour. So we went on the bus which drove us inside the Space Center. We were told that it is strictly forbidden to take photos of a security area leading to the center. Of course, there was not much to take a picture of anyway. Just a couple of military guys and a small building with a gate.
On the photo above you can see an assembly building and a rocket that was scheduled to launch the next day. I did se the launch too, but this will be a future post topic.
The Kennedy space center is situated in Florida, Cape Canaveral. All this area is actually a Merrit Island Wildlife refugee and it co-exists with everything that is going on in the space complex. Overall the buildings and launch pads take a very small percentage of all the wildlife refugee. We were told that around 2500 alligators also co-exists with everyone working there. I saw 2 during my trip.
The vehicle assembly building. It's so immensely large structure. If I remember correctly its one of the largest in the world by a volume.
You can see a large American flag on the wall. For scale comparison, I have a photo of my girlfriend standing on the flag of the same scale. So you can get a glimpse of the sheer size of this assembly building. In fact, the structure is so large that I have heard the building even has its own micro-climate.
Next to the building, there was a vehicle on display intended to drive on some other surface on some planet.
And a launchpad walkway which was used for some time ago.
On the wall, there were some names of astronauts that have used this walkway to reach the rocket.
On the other side of the building, there were some open hatches. There was something visible that is being built. It probably is a rocket of some kind. Here are a couple of shots.
It's me.
Most of the time we were on a bus and I tried to get the best pictures possible through the window. Since this is a strictly restricted area we obviously we were not allowed to roam around the center freely. Fortunately, there were places we got out of the bus and we were allowed to take photos of most of the things there.
Omega missions launch pads being built.
The Space X launchpad where A Tesla was launched into space.
The shot of a building which purpose to me is unknown.
Don't play with fire next to that tank.
Launchpad 39A.
I'm sorry for the incredibly bad shot but this is the historic launchpad 39B which was used for launching Apollo program shuttles. Its also a pad where the Challenger Space shuttle exploded shortly after takeoff and killed 8 people.
As I heard the launchpad is now under construction to again begin launching from that platform.
Later we reached the Saturn V Center where we saw so many historical stuff.
This is the control room that was used when launching people to the moon.
Here you can see Saturn V rocket Stage 1. It's crazy how massive it is.
The stage 1 separation point.
I was so fascinated by those rocket engines.
Stage 2 separation point.
If my memory is correct then this is the Apollo 7 landing capsule which astronauts used to fall in the ocean.
Spacesuits used on the moon.
The description on the photo.
This is the flight plan written by astronauts before launching to the moon.
Moon rover.
Saturn V rocket cockpit.
Afterward, when we were leaving the Space center, next to the main road there was the eagle's nest.
Our guide told us that the nest has been there before all the space programs and even before the space center was built there. So this nest has seen launches to the moon, Shuttle launches and everything. Yes, eagles still live there.
This post has gotten pretty long and I will leave the Kennedy Visitor Center part for the next post. Thank you to everyone who made it till the end. Next time you will see many other rockets and also a space shuttle Atlantis that has been to space 27 times.
Stay tuned and stay safe!