By Nicholas Katers
Learn about space at the Kennedy Space Center.
The Kennedy Space Center started as the Launch Operations Center for the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in July 1962. The center was named for President John F. Kennedy after his assassination in 1963. The beautiful surroundings of Merritt Island and America's history of space exploration make the Kennedy Space Center a popular tourist destination. Tourists visit launch facilities, view IMAX movies and learn space travel history at the Kennedy Space Center.
Astronaut Encounter
The Astronaut Encounter gives visitors the chance to meet NASA's elite team of astronauts. This daily event features an astronaut speaking about the experience of working in space, current missions and NASA's overall mission. Each astronaut takes questions from the audience. The Astronaut Encounter occasionally hosts former astronauts and NASA administrators to discuss famed missions such as the Apollo 11 mission.
Rocket Garden
The Rocket Garden gathers boosters and capsules from the American space program's past in a single location. Visitors see Atlas and Titan boosters cast in red, white and blue lights to show America's rich history in space. The Rocket Garden opens Mercury and Apollo command capsules to guests interested in the mechanics of space travel. The Kennedy Space Center offers daily tours from late morning to late afternoon through the Rocket Garden.
Kennedy Space Center Tours
The Kennedy Space Center offers a multitude of daily tours that cover various areas of the facility. The NASA Up Close Tour takes visitors past the launching pad used for space shuttle programs, creating a great backdrop for photographs. The center's Cape Canaveral: Then and Now Tour takes visitors to the Air Force Space and Missile Museum to detail the early history of the American space program. The center recommends reservations for each tour in anticipation of daily sellouts.
Apollo/Saturn V Center
The centerpiece of the Apollo/Saturn V Center is the Saturn V rocket booster used for the Apollo moon landing in 1969. The Saturn V rocket is displayed prominently in the center for visitors to photograph. The Apollo/Saturn V Center features space suits, tools and other relics from the Apollo space program to add new dimensions to this part of American history. The Kennedy Space Center hosts special events at the Apollo/Saturn V Center to commemorate benchmarks in America's progress in space travel.
IMAX Space Films
The Kennedy Space Center offers educational films and new releases from its two IMAX theaters. Each theater contains a five-story screen, high-definition images and booming sound systems to engulf visitors in a full media experience. The center runs multiple showings of educational IMAX films such as "Space Station 3D" each day included in the price of admission. Guests can see first-run movies throughout the year at the Kennedy Space Center for regular movie admission.
Resources
About the Author:
Nicholas Katers has been a freelance writer since 2006. He teaches American history at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wis. His past works include articles for "CCN Magazine," "The History Teacher" and "The Internationalist" magazine. Katers holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in American history from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, respectively.
Photo Credits:
earth from space image by hugy from
Fotolia.com
