We arrived at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center about twenty minutes before they open. We did that so that we could buy our tickets and get to the gate in time for the opening.
It was a good thing we did. Today there was a large contingent of school kids on a field trip. They were well behaved and well organized, but it was a large crowd in the parking lot. We were able to get to the ticket office and gate while they were still getting organized in the parking lot.
The staff were very helpful. We got good directions to the ticket office. In the ticket office, they processed our two day pass quickly. They also directed us to the people that help you plan your day. We ended up close to the front of the line waiting to get through the main entrance gate.
Our first stop was at the Atlantis Walking Tour. It is near the back of the park, so we got a good look at the layout on the way to the tour.
Inside the building, the Atlantis Space Shuttle is on display. We joined the first guided tour of the day. Our guide gave us a history of the program. He also described in great detail all the sections, purposes, and functioning of most parts of the ship. It took four pictures to get the full view of the massive ship.
After the tour guide finished his talk, we explored the rest of the building. They had mock ups of many parts of the shuttle so you could get a sense of living on the ship. We saw the cockpit, some glass tubes that copied some of the narrower sections of the ship, some videos of the history of the ship, and a video game/flight simulator that showed how the shuttle landed on the ground.
One interesting part of the visitors center is the chance to meet astronauts. We got to hear Woody Spring talk about his experiences on a shuttle. You can tell from the picture that he was much younger when he went into space. His stories were still fresh though. He spoke about the exciting things like being launched into space, working in space, and seeing the earth from far above the planet. He also talked about everyday things like eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom when there is no gravity.
After the Meet the Astronaut talk, we headed to a virtual reality game called HYPERDECK. It is a virtual simulation of a trip to the moon to mine valuable materials. It is also a game where you can score points for doing a good job mining. It was a blast!
We knew we liked it the first time we tried it. After we were done, we immediately signed up for the next available slot.
Our next stop was an IMAX presentation of Space, The New Frontier. We enjoyed seeing videos of current space projects and plans for the future.
Then it was our chance to try HYPERDECK again. We learned even more about the game. By having a scheduled time, you do not have to wait long for your turn.
We found out that when your turn is next, you can interact with the game in progress by either helping one person or by blocking one person. It is an interesting twist on the game. It also helps the time pass more quickly.
By the time we were done with our second try, we were already addicted to HYPERDECK. Unfortunately, all the time slots were filled for the rest of the day.
The Mission Briefing Status talked about the long range plans for NASA. They are actively involved in plans to land humans on the moon in 2027. They are also working on the Mars Exploration Program (MEP). MEP’s goal is to land humans on Mars.
Deep Sky IMAX was interesting. We learned about the launch, current status of, and plans for the James Webb Space Telescope. We had the chance to see some spectacular shots of deep space objects. Other galaxies, nebula, planets around other stars, and even just other stars looked very different from a telescope so large and so far out in space.
While the HYPERDECK was booked for the day, the Spaceport Journeys were available to ride. There are four different rides that take you on simulated rides to other parts of the solar system and the galaxy. Our first trip was to Saturn and Jupiter. We really liked that the travel time was just minutes instead of months or years.
We also tried to get on the Rocketship VR ride, but it too was booked for the afternoon.
We spent some time viewing some of the displays in the Gateway building. Then it was closing time.
We did a selfie at the entrance on our way out. There had been too many kids there earlier in the morning.
There was supposed to be a Falcon launch while we were in town. We found a great viewing spot. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. It was too windy, so the flight was aborted.
It was a busy, fun day at Kennedy Space Center. We still have a lot to see tomorrow. Plus we will get to play HYPERDECK a few more times.