We’re back in Florida for our second winter on the road, and we again stayed for a while near the Kennedy Space Center.  Our main purpose in staying here was to witness the launch of a rocket carrying a satellite into space, but alas, the launch was postponed at the last minute and we didn’t get to see it.  We may head back when the launch gets rescheduled if possible.

While there we visited the Kennedy Space Center again.  Last December we bought annual passes (which were just a bit more expensive than one-day passes!!) so we had an opportunity to visit again without paying any additional fees.  Last year while we were here they were building a new section of the visitor center to house the space shuttle Atlantis along with lots of information about the shuttle program.  This year, it’s open!

The shuttle is on display with the payload bay doors wide open and the robotic arm extended.  It was a real exciting thing to be able to walk around it and under it and see it from many different angles.  They also had some great videos in a huge IMAX type theatre and lots of displays about the program, the shuttles, the astronauts, the accomplishments etc.  They even had a shuttle launch simulator that actually made you feel like multiple “G” forces were pressing on you, and then weightlessness.  Not really, but it did feel like it!!

The Kennedy Space Center is just a couple of hours away from Orlando and Disney World, and I think it should be part of any family’s vacation to that part of Florida!

To see pictures of our visit to the Kennedy Space Center in December of 2012, when we took several “Up-Close and Personal” tours of the assembly building, the shuttle launch pad etc., click here.

Here are some pictures we took of the Space Shuttle experience: