Worlds apart from Orlando’s theme parks – but just a short drive away. Plan on a full day to explore NASA Kennedy Space Center launch headquarters, located on a wildlife refuge eight times the size of Manhattan. At Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, you get the unique chance to tour – up close – NASA’s launch and landing facilities, experience interactive simulators, enjoy live shows and have jaw-dropping encounters with massive rockets. Plus, you can even meet a veteran NASA astronaut. It’s all what you can expect from an inspiring day at Kennedy Space Center near Orlando.Feel the rush when you tour NASA’s launch and landing facilities, get vertical on Shuttle Launch Experience, enjoy live shows and have jaw-dropping encounters with massive rockets! You can even meet a veteran NASA astronaut. It’s all part of an inspiring day at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Rocket Launch Schedule & Information
Experience one of the most stunning and dramatic events on Earth: a live NASA launch. From a space shuttle launch to the thunderous ascent of massive rockets carrying satellites and planetary explorers, there’s always a mission in the works at America’s busiest launch facility.
Weather of Kennedy Space Center
Florida’s peninsular shape and temperature contrasts between land and ocean provide ideal conditions for electrical storms, earning Central Florida the reputation as “lightning capital of the United States”. This makes extensive lightning protection and detection systems necessary to protect employees, structures and spacecraft on launch pads safe.On November 14, 1969,Apollo 12 was struck by lightning just after lift-off from Pad 39A, but the flight continued safely.In October 2004, Hurricane Charley caused an estimated $700,000 in damage to KSC. On September 7, 2004, Hurricane Frances directly hit the area with sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) and gusts up to 94 miles per hour (151 km/h), the most damaging storm to date vacation planning. The Vehicle Assembly Building lost 1,000 exterior panels, each 3.9 feet (1.2 m) x 9.8 feet (3.0 m) in size. This exposed 39,800 sq ft (3,700 m2) of the building to the elements. Damage occurred to the south and east sides of the VAB. The shuttle’s Thermal Protection System Facility suffered extensive damage. The roof was partially torn off and the interior suffered water damage. Several rockets on display in the center were toppled Further damage to KSC was caused by Hurricane Wilma in October 2005.
Facilities of Kennedy Space Center
Facilities at the Kennedy Space Center are directly related to its mission to launch, and in some cases recover, manned and unmanned missions. Facilities are available to prepare and maintain spacecraft and payloads for flight. The headquarters (HQ) building houses offices for the Center Director, library, film and photo archives, a print shop and security.Payloads are received processed and integrated together in the Operations and Checkout (OC) building dating back to the 1960’s with the Gemini and Apollo programs, 70’s with the Skylab program and 80’s and 90’s for initial segments of the International Space Station. The three-story, 457,000 square feet (42,500 m2) Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) consists of two processing bays, an airlock, operational control rooms, laboratories, logistics areas and office space for support of non-hazardous Station and Shuttle payloads to ISO 14644-1 class 5 standards. Kennedy Space Center is a Adventures Place For Vacations. The Vertical Processing Facility (VPF) features a 71 feet (22 m) x 38 feet (12 m) door where payloads which are processed in the vertical position are brought in and manipulated with 2 overhead cranes and a hoist capable of lifting up to 35 short tons (32 t). The Hypergolic Maintenance and Checkout Facility (HMCF) comprises three buildings which are isolated from the rest of the industrial area because of the hazardous materials handled there. Hypergolic-fueled modules that make up the space shuttles orbiter’s reaction control system, orbital maneuvering system and auxiliary power units are stored and serviced in the HMCF.Kennedy Space Center is Beautiful place.