Orlando 10 July 2024 - I need more space

The view for lunch - in the Saturn V display

Early in the morning, we left the holiday home (villa) for the Kennedy Space Center (Cape Canaveral).  This is the location of America's main launch pads.  It is where the Saturn V took a few very privileged astronauts to the moon, and one to go around it twice and never land.  Can you name him?

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor complex is operated for NASA by Delaware North.  That tells you a lot about the centre, before you even start.

This is my day.  Everything else on the holiday is for the children and others in the party.  So we start by visiting the Saturn V.  This iconic rocket 'is' the space program - well for me at least.  We board a coach, that takes us to the Saturn V centre.  The bus is like a guided tour and plays a video to entertain us on the 20-minute journey.  There is also plenty of wildlife - we are on a reserve, and we may see some.

Most of the interactive displays show the Activate Windows screen.

 

The bus arrives and there is a long wait outside some huge doors.  Every part of the trip is designed to enhance the dramatic.  We go through a launch 'replay' for Apollo 11, seated above the actual launch control room.  The presentation is well put together and helpful in understanding what happened.

Everywhere, the wild-life cleans up after the humans.  These two young birds fight over the scraps.

Immature Boat-tailed Grackles

Finally, we get to see the Saturn V, on its side. 

Manned Moon Landings

There is lots to do. I spend a lot of time marvelling at the technology, and the 2 million systems that must work together perfectly to get men to the moon and back safely.  NASA achieved this 6 times - a remarkable achievement, and completed in a very short time frame.

We also visit the Mars expedition talk, which is a little underwhelming.

The Space shuttle Atlantis display is very good.  You can get reasonably close, and a real feel for the size and complexity of the shuttle, whose original design is not that far from a paper aeroplane. 

There are many piloting simulations and other similar activities around the site. Many are only partially functional (BROKEN!).  This is not NASA, and gives a poor impression, but I guess things have moved on. Everything is outsourced. Yes, I know aerospace companies worked with NASA on this stuff, but WITH is better than FOR.  No longer are we in a world of excellence and exploration that the Apollo and Space shuttle programs exuded.  Now we are commercial, and it seems that today's space programs are closer to the laying down of the railways, than the development of the steam engine.

Never mind, for me the excitement has gone, and will only return when the headline is "Mission to Mars". I firmly believe we should be there by now.

The title of the blog entry "I need more space" is one of the advertising slogans in the various shops. It is intended to be ironic.