Kennedy Space Center
Sand, surf, and sky at Merritt Island, Florida
For pilots, standing next to the Space Shuttle Atlantis and watching the footage of its reentry and landing leaves a big impression.
Take the leap
Getting there
Deadstick landing something of that size and miserable glide ratio from space to a relatively tiny spot on Earth’s surface is beyond impressive—the video clearly shows the pilots greasing it—and inspires us to improve our own skills. Did you know the Shuttle’s tires have very little tread in order to reduce weight? There’s an actual, used set for you to touch at the Atlantis exhibit in the Kennedy Space Center, along with a mind-boggling number of artifacts and exhibits to keep any aviation or space geek engrossed for hours.
The center invokes the vibrancy and wonder of a theme park with the substance of the most technical and thorough museum. Both fun and educational for the whole family, the interactive, large-scale exhibits cover all manned space programs from Mercury down through the shuttle and space station eras, and into the future.
Wander through the outdoor “rocket garden” with rockets from different eras and hop on the bus tour to glimpse the huge vehicle assembly building and crawlers that transfer the rockets to the launch pads. The Apollo/Saturn V facility holds the 363-foot Saturn V rocket, one of only three remaining. Not to be missed is reliving the countdown and blast-off of Apollo 8 in the Firing Center with the original control consoles used in the launches.
Explore a spaceport mockup and try your skills on the journey to Mars, get vigorously shaken in the shuttle launch simulation ride, and see actual moon dust on Alan Shepard’s spacesuit. Additional treats are the IMAX theater, meeting veteran astronauts, the Astronaut Training Experience program for the ultimate hands-on engagement, and of course, space-themed food, ice cream, and gift shops.
