Kennedy Space Center Information
The John F. Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., plays a crucial role in the United State's space exploration program. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration launched the first American into space and later sent astronauts to the moon from Kennedy Space Center, and the site continues to serve as a launch and landing base for the Space Shuttle program.
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History
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President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorized the creation of NASA in July 1958. Four years later, NASA established the Launch Operations Center at Cape Canaveral, which was renamed Kennedy Space Center in 1963 in honor of President John F. Kennedy, according to NASA.gov.
Significance
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In addition to sending astronauts into space, Kennedy Space Center also launches satellites and robotic missions on fact-finding trips about Earth and the universe.
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Geography
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The 140,000-acre Kennedy Space Center is along Florida's east coast, about 25 miles south of Daytona Beach. The property runs 34 miles from north to south and is 10 miles wide. The site, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Banana and Indian rivers, also is a national wildlife refuge.
Apollo Moon Landing
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After Apollo 11 was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon on July 20, 1969. They spent 21 hours conducting experiments and taking pictures. Armstrong and Aldrin planted a flag on the moon and a plaque that read, "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon. July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for mankind."
Fun Fact
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More than 1.5 million people visit the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex each year, making it one of Florida's most popular tourist destinations.
Visitor Attractions
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You can walk through a full-size replica of the Explorer Space Shuttle, where you view the quarters that astronauts share while in space and see close-up the shuttle's giant external fuel tank and rocket boosters.
A Saturn V rocket is on display at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, which houses Apollo astronaut equipment and machines,.
The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame includes a "rare collection of astronaut artifacts," interactive exhibits and astronaut training simulators, according to kennedyspacecenter.com. Also featured are a G-Force Trainer that states "lets you feel the pressure of four times the force of gravity," as well as a simulator that mimics the feel of a rover riding across the surface of Mars.
Other attractions include a shuttle launch simulator, a viewing site where visitors can see the Space Shuttle launch pad, a center devoted to the operations of the International Space Center, a Hubble Telescope Exhibit and a display of full-size rockets.
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