The John F. Kennedy Space Center is located just a short 45 minutes drive from Orlando. Since December 1968, the KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of human spaceflight.
Though the first Apollo flights and all Project Mercury and Project Gemini flights took off from CCAFS, the launches were managed by KSC and its previous organization, the Launch Operations Directorate. Starting with the fourth Gemini mission, the NASA launch control center in Florida (Mercury Control Center, later the Launch Control Center) began handing off control of the vehicle to the Mission Control Center in Houston, shortly after liftoff; in prior missions it held control throughout the entire mission.
Additionally, the center manages launch of robotic and commercial crew missions and researches food production and In-Situ Resource Utilization for off-Earth exploration. Since 2010, the center has worked to become a multi-user spaceport through industry partnerships, even adding a new launch pad (LC-39C) in 2015.
There are about 700 facilities and buildings grouped across the center's 144,000 acres (580 km2). Among the unique facilities at KSC are the 525-foot (160 m) tall Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking NASA's largest rockets, the Launch Control Center, which conducts space launches at KSC, the Operations and Checkout Building, which houses the astronauts dormitories and suit-up area, a Space Station factory, and a 3-mile (4.8 km) long Shuttle Landing Facility. There is also a Visitor Complex open to the public on site.
The visitor complex opens at 9 am every day of the year, though closing time varies with season. The Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour is included with daily admission and operates until 2.5 hours before close. Kennedy Space Center is a working spaceflight facility and visitor complex attractions may be altered or closed due to operational requirements.
There are many inclusions with a daily ticket including Rocket Garden, Astronaut Encounter, Heroes & Legends, Apollo 8 and the firing room, Exploring the Moon and much more.
It is advisable to arrive early so you can fit in as much as possible,
9 Nights from £2120pp
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At TripsBeyond there are a number of ways you can contact us meaning that all you have to do is choose the option which is most convenient to you.
0800 270 0009
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Request A Callback
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