Florida: Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center Celebrating 50 Years with New Tours.
This year at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex there are extra opportunities for visitors including rare behind-the-scenes tours, rocket launches, shuttle launch experiences, and interactive programs created for families to share.
Here’s the scoop. First off, for its 50th anniversary year Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is offering rare behind-the-scenes tours, including one taking visitors inside the massive, 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building where the Apollo rockets and space shuttles were once assembled. One of the largest buildings in the world, the VAB had been off limits to visitors for more than 30 years until the tour was added. What else?
See ongoing rocket launches. The visitor complex remains one of the best vantage points to see rocket launches taking place from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. More than 10 launches have been scheduled for 2012 to carry NASA science missions and government satellites, as well as to test commercial space programs. An Atlas V rocket carrying a satellite was launched May 4, and next is a demonstration launch of a Falcon 9 rocket by SpaceX, the first mission by a commercial company to travel to and dock with the International Space Station.
50th Anniversary of Kennedy Space Center. The celebration year features several events, including an event on July 1 to mark the anniversary of the space center being officially acknowledged as an operating spaceflight center under the name Launch Operations Center.
Here’s a deal. In celebration of the 50th anniversary, there are two special offers that can save up to 30 % on admission, food and merchandise, as well as secure access to view rocket launches. Details of Kennedy Space Center's 50th Gold Admission Package and a $50 Annual Pass are available on line at Kennedy Space Center. http://kennedyspacecenter.com/annual-pass-offer.aspx.
Coming soon, the new home for space shuttle Atlantis. Events are also planned to mark milestones in the creation of the future home of the space shuttle Atlantis, expected to open in July 2013. Ground was broken in January on the exhibit, and this fall Atlantis will "roll over" from its processing facility inside the Kennedy Space Center to the visitor complex for permanent display. The 65,000-square-foot Atlantis exhibit will provide guests a unique vantage point to view Atlantis up close, while telling the story of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program through a number of hands-on, interactive and immersive mediums.
Checkout Apollo/Saturn V Center. A fully restored, 363-foot Saturn V moon rocket serves as the centerpiece, and visitors can relive the historic launch of Apollo 8 in the Firing Room Theater and catch the harrowing final moments before man landed on the moon in the Lunar Theater. All tours stop here, as well as the LC-39 Observation Gantry, which offers panoramic views of launch pads.
Participate in the Shuttle Launch Experience. This is an incredible journey simulates launching into space and orbiting Earth aboard the space shuttle. Guest "crew members" strap in for this launch replication, which immerses visitors in the sights, sounds and feelings of a space shuttle launch, designed under the guidance of NASA and veteran space shuttle astronauts.
Go to the movies. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is home to a pair of five-and-a-half-story-tall IMAX screens – the only back-to-back 3D IMAX theaters in the world. Now playing are two films featuring ongoing NASA missions: Space Station 3D and Hubble 3D.
View, share and interact. KSC has a remarkable collection of rockets, launch pads, NASA aerospace technology components and launch viewing opportunities plus behind-the-scenes access. A must-see for families visiting Florida, the complex offers numerous activities and interactive programs, including meeting working astronauts, space camp, and Family ATX®– Astronaut Training Experience® that will leave visitors with a new-found understanding of the U.S. space program. Other attractions and activities include Rocket Garden, Astronaut Encounter, “Lunch with an Astronaut”, U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®, and Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted plus the natural beauty of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
About Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The complex opens at 9 a.m. daily but closing times vary by season. Admission includes the Kennedy Space Center Tour, Shuttle Launch Experience, 3D IMAX® space films, Astronaut Encounter, STAR TREKTM LIVE, and Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted and all exhibits.
Bonus points: Admission also includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®, featuring historic spacecraft and the world's largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia, open from noon until 6:00 p.m. daily. Parking, wheelchairs, strollers and pet kennels are free of charge.
Here’s the deal. Take advantage of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex special admission offer. Now through August 24, 2012, save $5 off single-day admission tickets when purchasing in advance. The offer can be redeemed online by entering promotional code "MISSION" in the discount field of the billing page, or by calling toll-free 1-866-737-5235 or on line
Mission Deal. The cost of fun. Admission is $43 + tax for adults and $33 + tax for children ages 3-11. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Commander's Club Annual Pass is $56 + tax for adults and $46 + tax for children ages 3-11. For more information, call toll-free 1-866-737-5235 or visit
www.KennedySpaceCenter.com Location on the planet. The Space Coast stretches 72 miles along Florida's East Coast and is best known as the home of Kennedy Space Center. Just 35 miles east of Orlando, it is also offers the closest beaches away from theme parks. Area communities include Titusville, Cocoa Beach, Cocoa, Melbourne and Palm Bay.
Space Coast Family Vacations. The beaches are awesome; the area is it offers relaxation and inspiration. The unique combination of soft adventures, lively entertainment and sea breezes makes any Florida beach vacation perfect. Florida's Space Coast Office toll-free 1-877-57-BEACH (1-800-572-3224, (321)-443-4470 or
www.visitspacecoast.comContent & images provided by Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Copyright 2012.
