After watching the Space Shuttle Launch we went to the Kennedy Space Center to learn more about NASA and the shuttle.

Here is Kesley not breaking the law.

This is one of the launch pads they use to launch the shuttle. This is the same one that Columbia launched from days earlier.

This is the Vehicle Assembly Building where they store and equip  the shuttles, Apollos’, and the satellites that are going into space.  This building is 525 feet tall, covers eight acres, and is about 130 million cubic feet. It used to be the largest building in the world.

This is the mission control room where they worked during the launch of the Apollo 13.  These are the actual computers they used to send the Apollo up, the room was left so that we could see the kind of technology that they used in the 70’s.  When we were there they re-enacted the liftoff of the Apollo 13 and the windows start shaking, the rumbling is very loud, and then out the window you can see the glow from the rocket taking off

This is the bottom of  a recreated fully restored Saturn V Moon Rocket.  It is hard to show how big this really is, but it is big!

This is a Lunar Landing Module.

Here is a Space Exploration Vehicle.

The girls checking out a moon rock, you can actually touch.

One of the Apollo Landing Modules.

The kids with an astronaut is his whole suit!

This is a recreated shuttle that you can walk through.

And inside the cargo bay. The gold thing actually was used in space to captures a satellite that had gone out of its intended orbit. This is about 2.5 stories high?!?

This is the front part of the shuttle where they work, not much room.

This is the boosters and the external fuel tank that the shuttle is attached to during liftoff.  The boosters are separated after liftoff and fall into the Atlantic Ocean and are recovered and used again.  The fuel tank is attached to the shuttle all the way into space and then is separated and burned up in the atmosphere.

This is another model of the shuttle.

Here is one of the alligators in the wild that we saw while we were in Florida.

This is Astronaut Guy Gardner who made an appearance and took a picture with the kids.

This is the Saturn 1B.  It was intended for use as an emergency rescue rocket during the Skylab program.

This is the Rocket Garden with the Redstone, Atlas, and Titan rockets that first put Americans in Space.

The Kennedy Space Center is a must see when on the Florida coast. We chose this over Disney because of the costs – About $33 for adults and $24 for kids for general admission. There are extras you can purchase for a behind the scenes or restricted areas tours. We spent all day from opening to closing here and were not able to see it all. This destination is highly recommended if you’re ever in the area.