Editors note: More than three years after the Columbia disaster, the Space Shuttle Discovery successfully launched July 4, 2006. Now NASA is pushing to get the International Space Station completed, so the shuttle launch schedule has been stepped up for 2008 with mission target dates of May 25 for Discovery, August 28 for Atlantis, October 16 for Endeavour and December 4 for Discovery.Although the sites and sounds at the Kennedy Space Center might not be much different than a previous visit, February's space shuttle disaster is drawing visitors back to Kennedy Space Center as they ponder once again the high cost of manned space exploration.
Most of the tangible structures at Kennedy Space Center have not changed over the years, but it has new meaning as visitors pause to remember how history repeated itself with the destruction of the second shuttle. Even if you've been to Kennedy Space Center in the past, a return trip is sure to be a memorable experience as it will force a visitor to stop and contemplate the most recent tragedy.
After each disaster, some are drawn back to the Kennedy Space Center as if almost on a religious pilgrimage; feeling it is their duty to visit and pay respect to the astronauts who have fallen. Others, visiting for the first time, have a newfound interest in the space program brought about only by the disaster. Still, even without the Columbia disaster, the "normal" sights and sounds of Kennedy Space Center are enough to bring visitors from all over the world.
Today, somber visitors stop to pay their respects in front of a large photograph of the Columbia's crew displayed at the Astronauts Memorial. It is a fitting tribute until a more lasting memorial can be crafted. Who can't think of the sacrifice made by Columbia's crew when the tour guide points to the hanger in the distance that now holds thousands of shattered parts of the Columbia – parts that are being re-assembled to try to learn the cause of the accident.
Visiting the KSC Complex
Nearly two million people experience Kennedy Space Center annually. The public is allowed to tour normally restricted areas under an agreement between NASA and a private company that manages the attractions portion of the facility.In summary, it's as if Disney took over a government facility. Instead of Disney characters posing for photos with guests in the Magic Kingdom, men in spacesuits mingle with visitors in front of a backdrop of space-related displays and equipment.
To adequately see all of the Kennedy Space Center, plan on spending a good portion of an entire day at KSC itself, and that is not including the newest addition, the US Astronaut Hall of Fame.
The Tour
The tour of the massive facility is by bus. Visitors have the opportunity to disembark and stay at stops so they can tour at their own speed. Buses run continually every 15-20 minutes so there is no need to rush. The buses provide a video narrated tour of the entire facility and the bus operator might even stop to point out fleeting sights such as eagles and other native wildlife.The first stop is the LC-39 Observation Gantry where you can climb four flights of stairs (or take an elevator) to get the best possible view of the shuttle launch pads. Atop the 44-foot platform, you have a great view of where history was made from the 1960s to the present day. At the Observation Gantry complex there is also an eight-minute movie covering the history of the space shuttle program, as well as displays and artifacts related to the shuttle program.
The Apollo/Saturn 5 Center is the second stop on the tour. There is a 12-minute video on the history of the Apollo program and a separate display area that contains the firing (control) room with the actual consoles that were used in the Apollo program. As you overlook the control room, massive video screens display a simulated launch. When the "countdown" ends and there is ignition, the noise is nearly deafening and windows in the room rattle as you feel only a fraction of the vibration of a real launch. The highlight of the displays at the Apollo/Saturn 5 Center have to be the remaining massive Saturn V rockets — all 363-feet of them.
Tours start at 10:00 a.m. and the last bus departs the Visitor Complex at 2:15. Tour buses run continually every 15-20 minutes.
Astronaut Encounters
Finally, as you return to the Information Center, you find Astronaut Encounters. Astronaut Encounters are where astronauts address and take questions from visitors in an informal outdoor setting. For a more intimate environment, try the "Lunch with an Astronaut" program.The astronaut du jour on my recent trip was none other than Story Musgrave. Story, who has 30 years of experience in the NASA program and has flown on many shuttle missions, was a familiar face on many national news channels immediately after the Columbia disaster. With the lunch program, everyone gets an autographed photograph and the opportunity to be photographed with that day's astronaut. The food isn't bad either. It is an all-you-can-eat buffet-style that includes salad, rolls, chicken, macaroni and cheese and space shuttle-shaped ice cream desserts — very popular with the kids.
