Sure, you've seen shuttle launches on
TV, but do you have any idea how BIG this stuff is?
The Cape has changed in recent years, we think in no small part to
the success of the movie Apollo 13, and the public access to
enhanced photos by the Hubble Space Telescope on the Internet. When Mike
was there in 1995, the public areas consisted of the main visitor's center
and a tram ride through some of the launch sites, plus the original
mission control center for the Apollo program.
When we were there, the visitor's center was still there, but they
had built three new buildings around the site and expanded the Apollo
center to make room for more comprehensive enhibits. A second exhibition
hall chronicles the Apollo program, and houses one of the original Saturn
V Rockets used to send astronauts to the moon. An observation center has
been built, to allow more space for public viewing of shuttle launches,
and a complex has been built for the assembly of components for the
International Space Station, with isolated catwalks above for visitors to
see the clean-work on modules for the station.
Several Imax films are available for viewing, one on the Apollo
program, one on general astronomy and the future of the space program, and
oddly enough when we were there, there was a film about Mt. Everest. A
number of excellent exhibits are offered in and around the visitor's
center, including one on the environmental impact of each shuttle launch,
and a "rocket garden," displaying the evolution of American rocketry.
There is so much to see and do at the Cape that we were exhausted
by the time we made it back to the car. Oh, and as a tip for you
picknickers: stuff still gets hot even if you put it in the trunk of the
car for the day. Not only was the ice pack in our cooler completely
melted, but it was actually HOT to the touch. Luckily, peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches still taste good hot, and the chocolate bars were more or
less edible after sitting in front of the AC vent for a half hour or so,
but the bottled water had to wait, and the tuna salad just went away
uneaten.
Kids, this is a full-day excursion, and don't expect to see it all.
If you want to see a shuttle launch, you'll have to call ahead and reserve
a spot -- they start taking reservations about two months in advance of a
launch, and you still might miss it if it's cancelled due to weather.
Still, even with the long drive and the crowds of tourists, a stop at the
Cape is a must. You can't truly appreciate the marvel of modern
technological wizardry until you can see it for yourself, and just FEEL
the power of these rockets. Then you understand a little better what it
takes to make a vehicle the size of a small house fly into space and
return safely.
Back to the Scrapbook!
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