Our day of space exploration began at the crack of dawn. We made our way to the Kennedy Space Center to witness an Atlas V 551 rocket launch bring a communications satellite into orbit. Arriving around 4:30 am, the anticipation in the air was palpable as we made our way to the bleachers, strategically positioned for the best view. Our luck held and the weather remained clear, so the launch was able to go forward. It was really exciting to be able to witness this event in person!
Click here to watch the full launch with commentary from the United Launch Alliance!
Since we woke up so early and the Visitor Complex didn’t open for a couple of hours after the rocket was launched, we caught up on sleep in the car 🙂
The Kennedy Space Centre Visitor Complex was full of space-related artifacts, history, and innovation. The exhibits covered space pioneers, the Apollo moon landings, NASA’s space shuttle program, and the future of NASA. While on our world trip, we met a representative from NASA in Hawaii, so this was a full circle moment!
The Kennedy Space Centre is also an interactive learning environment that engages visitors of all ages. The exhibits offer hands-on experiences, which we all thought was a great way to present science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in a captivating way. This reminded me of the Cusco planetarium in Peru, where we learned about space through technology and story telling.
Another really interesting aspect of the space centre was the bus tour of restricted areas to see former and currently used spaceports. It made us feel like we were behind the scenes and getting ready for a mission of our own!
One of the highlights of the visit for me was seeing a fellow Canadian, the Canadarm! The Canadarm is a series of robotic arms developed by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for use on spacecraft, and has played a crucial role in space exploration and infrastructure. The technology developed for the Canadarm has also paved the way for other robotic systems used in space exploration and satellite maintenance.
Our day at the Kennedy Space Centre was a voyage into the realms of space, science, and human ingenuity. From the rocket launch to the engaging exhibits, the Kennedy Space Centre had something for everyone!
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