Cape Canaveral
Kennedy Space Center
Visitor Center
Dine with an Astronaut
Nov. 3, 2010
Description & Accessibility
Although we had planed to take additional tours at the Kennedy space center due to possible shuttle launches and cancellation of tours; we only had the opportunity to spend one day at the Kennedy space center visitor complex.
If you want to take in everything that the visitor complex has to offer you should plan on spending a whole day there. We had lunch with an astronaut and toured most of the visitor complete, now we did arrive an hour and a half after they opened due a last minute change due to a possible shuttle launch the next day. The bus tour that we planed for another day never happened due to shuttle launch delays.
If you plan on only one day of touring then you must arrive at the Kennedy space center visitor complex at or before they open, if you participate in the lunch with an astronaut then if you take a bus tour it will be in the afternoon, you may not be able to see everything at the visitor complex but see as much as time will allow.
One of the options is to have lunch with an astronaut (for an extra charge – you need tickets), you do not get to pick which astronaut, I would have liked to had one from the Apollo program but we got one that had flown on the space shuttle. He or she does not actually have lunch with you but you first have lunch and towards the end of the lunch projection screens lower across all the windows and project a video onto the screens and during that show, the astronaut of the day will enter the room, will mingle with some and then as the video ends will introduce himself and give a speech and will also provide some time for some questions from the audience.
There will also be an opportunity to have a picture taken with him or her.
It is a worthwhile opportunity, but you go there for the astronaut experience, the lunch is just included.
Not sure if there is only one or two lunch with an astronaut each day, there was two the day we where there but that may have been to get rid of the backlog because of possible shuttle launch cancellations.
If you want to see the launch pads and the Saturn 5 (the full moon rocket) you will have to take a bus tour from the visitor center. If there is a rocket or shuttle on the launch pad do not expect to be getting close to it but will have to see it from a distance. The Saturn 5 I believe is the only rocket that we did not see as we did not get to do our 2nd day of touring when we had the bus tour booked which was a disappointment.
The Space shuttle display has two levels for viewing and has ramp lineup to get there, it also had an elevator to both levels.
The shuttle launch experience is another item at the visitor’s complex that you should try not to miss, it is designed to give as close to the actual launch feeling as you can get without being in an actual shuttle launch. The seats you are on are in the cargo bay. It is complete with some drama, there is an astronaut on a video monitor explaining every step into the launch, then system problems after the launch and the narrator on the video monitor asks if you like a certain place (I believe in Europe somewhere) and they say you better like it because that is where we are going if the problem is not solved quickly; then the problem is solved and the extremely bumping ride ends when the solid rocket boosters are expelled. When orbit is achieved the cargo bay doors open to get a large view of the earth above you.
Accessibility: Yes
You do have to transfer into the shuttle experience launch vehicle if you want to participate in this, there is a viewing location if you are not able to be on the ride itself. The only thing I did not take was the bus tour to the Saturn 5 center.
This link will take you to the Kennedy space center disabilities information page.
By: Donald Kerr