Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the visitor center at

The complex had its beginning in 1963 when NASA Administrator James Webb established self-guided tours where the public could drive along a predetermined route through the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and a small trailer containing simple displays on card tables. An estimated 100,000 visitors went through that first year.

As the American space program's popularity grew with the Mercury Program and Alan Shepard's historic launch, large numbers of press and public flocked to the

Beginning July 22, 1966, public tours were offered on 40-passenger buses. Operated by

As NASA neared the Moon, popularity grew. By 1969, the visitor center was the second most visited Florida attraction, behind Tampa's Busch Gardens.^[3] Even during the gap between the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs, attendance remained at over one million guests and it ranked as the fifth most popular tourist attraction in Florida.^[6]

When nearby Walt Disney World opened in 1971, visitor center attendance increased by 30%, but the public was often disappointed by the comparative lack of polish at KSC's tourist facilities. Existing displays were largely made up of trade show exhibits donated by NASA contractors. Later that year, a $2.3 million upgrade of the visitor complex began with added focus on the benefits of space exploration along with the existing focus on human space exploration.^[6]

In 1995,

Included in the base admission is tour-bus transportation to

Heroes & Legends, which replaced the previous Early Space Exploration exhibit, houses the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and several displays of artifacts. Among them is the Gemini 9A spacecraft, as well as a recreation of the Mercury Control Center using consoles and furniture relocated from the original building at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. These were previously housed in the Mercury Mission Control facility, which was on the National Register of Historic Places, but it was demolished in May 2010 due to concerns about asbestos and the estimated $5-million cost to renovate the building after 40 years of exposure to salt air.^[10]

Space Shuttle Atlantis

In 2010, the center announced a US$100 million plan to house a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in a 10-story 64,000 sq ft (5,900 m²) facility.^[11] On April 12, 2011, the 30th anniversary of the launch of STS-1, NASA announced that Space Shuttle Atlantis would be provided to the visitors center for display after its last flight on STS-135 and subsequent decommissioning.^[12] The exhibit officially opened on June 29, 2013, offering a nearly 360° view of the shuttle.^[13] Atlantis is positioned at a 43.21° angle with the payload bay doors open; a view only previously seen in space.

The exhibit also includes a life sized replica of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Shuttle program's astrovan, Dr. Maxime Faget's Shuttle prototype from 1969, a large-scale slide mimicking the 22° slope of a Space Shuttle when landing, numerous astronaut training and Shuttle simulators, and other displays about life in space. On the ground level is the "Forever Remembered" exhibit, commemorating the 14 astronauts lost in both Space Shuttle Challenger and Space Shuttle Columbia disasters. "Forever Remembered" includes personal artifacts from the astronauts, two recovered pieces of the Shuttles, footage of the physical and emotional recovery, and the return to flight.^[14]

This exhibit replaced the

The United States Astronaut Hall of Fame is now located in Heroes & Legends, which replaced the previous Early Space Exploration exhibit inside the visitor complex's main entrance. The US$20 million exhibit, which opened in 2016, focuses on America's first astronauts and nine characteristics of a hero. Each characteristic features astronaut artifacts and multimedia relevant to that characteristic. Key artifacts include the 1966

Heroes & Legends also holds the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, displaying the inducted men and women. In the center of the hall is an interactive kiosk with an inductee database, a mission index, and a virtual photo opportunity with the Mercury 7 astronauts.

The Boeing company is the title sponsor of Heroes & Legends, which marked the first time the visitor complex entered an agreement with a corporate sponsor in more than 50 years.^[19]

U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame

The United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, located inside the Heroes & Legends building, is included with visitor complex daily admission. The Hall of Fame was previously owned and operated by the U.S. Space Camp Foundation, but was purchased at auction by

Rocket garden in 2004 (l-r): Juno I, Mercury-Redstone, Thor (top missing), Mercury-Atlas (re-creation replica), Gemini-Titan II, with Saturn IB in background

The rocket garden during Christmas

The

The Juno I on display is painted with serial number "UE", a reference to the vehicle that launched the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1. A Juno II launched the first American probe to escape Earth's gravity and fly past the Moon. Atlas-Agena rockets launched early probes to the Moon, Venus, and Mars, as well as the Agena target vehicles used in rendezvous and docking by Gemini spacecraft — a necessary technique for the following Apollo missions. The Thor-Delta was one of the most reliable and frequently used launch vehicles. The Titan II on display is a refurbished Air Force ICBM with a replica Gemini spacecraft, painted to resemble the Gemini 3 booster. It was rescued from the Arizona Boneyard and erected in 2010 to replace a deteriorating mockup composed of two first stages which had been on display for more than 20 years.^[22] The Saturn IB on display is SA-209 which was designated for a possible Skylab Rescue mission.

The garden also features mock-ups of capsules from the

In June 2019, visitor complex official Therrin Protze offered placement of a Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy booster in the garden to SpaceX: "We have the space available and the capability to make it happen".^[24] SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk responded expressing interest in the offer.^[25]

Rocket Garden gallery

• 
  F-1

  rocket engine for the Saturn V
• 
  Saturn IB (SA-209)
• 
  KSC rocket garden (l-r): Mercury-Atlas, Atlas-Agena, Mercury-Redstone, Thor-Able, Juno II, Juno I-Explorer 1

Gateway

Subtitled "The Deep Space Launch Complex", this attraction opened in the spring of 2022 and showcases hardware focused on future exploration. Items on display include a Falcon Heavy booster, the Exploration Flight Test-1 capsule, prototypes of other spacecraft considered for flight, and interactive exhibits related to trips beyond the Moon. The facility hosts a rotating set of three shows devoted to topics such as extra-solar planets, Mars or recent discoveries in deep space.

Apollo/Saturn V Center

The Apollo/Saturn V Center (28°36′20″N 80°40′11″W / 28.6055°N 80.6696°W / 28.6055; -80.6696 (Apollo/Saturn V Center)) is located north-northwest of

The 100,000-square-foot[3] facility was built to house a restored Saturn V launch vehicle and features other exhibits related to the Apollo program. Until the structure was built, the Saturn V was displayed horizontally for many years outdoors just south of the Vehicle Assembly Building and tour buses brought visitors to it.

Other exhibits include the

Also on display is a slice of Moon rock that visitors can touch. Other exhibits include a replica of the Lunar Roving Vehicle, a variety of space suits including Alan Shepard's Apollo 14 extravehicular suit, a piece of Apollo 13's Lunar Module returned by the astronauts, lunar samples from Apollo 15 and Apollo 17, and a large cut-away scale model of the Saturn V. Two theaters allow visitors to relive parts of the Apollo program – one simulates the environment inside an Apollo-era firing room during the launch of Apollo 8 and the other simulates the Apollo 11 landing.

In January 2017, "Ad Astra Per Aspera – A Rough Road Leads to the Stars" opened in the Apollo/Saturn V Center to commemorate the fallen astronauts of Apollo 1. The permanent tribute showcases personal memorabilia from the three astronauts, with photos and video from their professional and personal lives. The exhibit also displays the charred three-section Block I hatch from the fire, and a redesigned Block II hatch. The Block II hatch flew on all following Apollo missions that could open quicker in the event of an emergency.

Apollo/Saturn V Center gallery

• 
  Center emblem
• 
  Apollo 14 Command Module Kitty Hawk
• 
  Apollo Lunar Module (LM-9)
• 
  Lunar Roving Vehicle test car
• 
  Launch control mock-up
• 
  Apollo astronaut van
• 
  "Ad Astra Per Aspera – A Rough Road Leads to the Stars"
• 
  Saturn V with mission seals on right

Journey to Mars: Explorers Wanted

In 2010, the attraction Exploration Space; Explorers Wanted, also designed by BRC Imagination Arts, functioned as part immersive experience, and part futuristic recruitment center. It is now known as Journey to Mars: Explorers Wanted with a focus on Mars exploration. The attraction, which employs large-scale video projections, dimensional exhibits and interactive experiences, is designed to immerse visitors into the adventure and unsolved challenges of future space exploration. The exhibit includes orbital docking and lunar landing simulators, a full-sized development model of a crew vehicle, a model of a space exploration vehicle, and models of the Mars rover family: Curiosity, Spirit, Opportunity, and Sojourner.

NASA Now

NASA Now is an exhibit that has a revolving display of spacecraft from NASA and its commercial partners. NASA Now, as of summer 2017, has the space-flown

The Space Mirror Memorial, also known as the Astronaut Memorial, is maintained by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation and is located behind the IMAX theater on the grounds of the main Visitor Complex. It honors NASA astronauts along with several military and civilian astronauts who have died in the line of duty.

Planet Play

The Planet Play attraction is a multi-story, highly immersive play structure geared towards children between the ages of 2-12. It opened to the public on January 1, 2021, and features various amenities such as climbing structures, slides, interactive games, and light projections, with the intention of educating children on some of the technologies used in space exploration.^[30][31]

Step. Power. Launch.

Step. Power. Launch. is an attraction where visitors jump on pressure pads to power up a rocket on a screen. There are 3 sections: Earth, Moon And Mars. When the rocket is completely fueled up, smoke begins to spew from beneath the screen and a launch sequence is shown.

3D IMAX Theater (Planet Play building)

This 3D IMAX theater, located inside the Planet Play building, shows two films: Journey to Space and Asteroid Hunters.

Robot Scouts (closed)

In 1999, the attraction "Robot Scouts" opened as a walk-through exhibit highlighting NASA's unmanned planetary robot probes.^[32] The attraction, designed originally by award-winning experience designer Bob Rogers (designer) and the design team BRC Imagination Arts,^[32] explores how robots help to pave the way for human spaceflight. During their visit, guests were guided through the attraction by a robot named StarQuester 2000, who explained to them the mission of the "Robot Scouts: Trailblazers for Human Exploration", with the help of the other then-active robots, including the Voyagers, the Vikings, Cassini, and even the Hubble Space Telescope. The experience culminated in a visit to a diorama of a Mars base, which even included a simulated Martian sunset. The attraction is now closed, and replaced by a new more enhanced and activity-packed scout program.^[33]

Early Space Exploration (closed)

In 1996, "Early Space Exploration" opened as an exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center in the far corner of the Rocket Garden near where the Visitor Complex's current entrance is now. As its name suggests, this exhibit celebrates the early years of American space exploration, with TVs displaying news broadcasts from the 1960s that described the events of certain flights as well as other memorabilia commemorating the time. The exhibit also featured the actual consoles from the Mercury Mission Control Center. This exhibit was closed in 2014 and transformed into Heroes & Legends, with many of the items from the original Astronaut Hall of Fame relocated to here. The Mercury Mission Control Consoles were also kept from the aforementioned exhibit.

Special events and programs

The Visitors Complex also hosts special ticketed events run by Delaware North. Naturalization ceremonies have been conducted in the Rocket Garden. Space Shuttle launch viewing was offered and now rocket launch viewing, from the visitor complex, offering close views of the launch pads. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame hosts a yearly induction ceremony.^[34] The Astronaut Training Experience is also offered by Delaware North at the Astronaut Training Experience Center with several full-sized mock-ups of the Space Shuttle, Mission Control and training hardware.^[35] The complex also runs week-long accredited day camps for children in grades 2–9.^[36] The visitor complex offers events all year, ranging from astronaut presentations and signing opportunities, special guest appearances, and anniversary celebrations.

The

• Air Force Space and Missile Museum
• Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
• United States Astronaut Hall of Fame

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

• Official website
• Podcast Episode About the Design and Visitor Experience Considerations of the Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibit