December 29, Orlando - Kennedy Space Centre

'On the wings of an eagle I find myself lifted to the sky,

Lifted up above the world to see.'

Russell Morris

Today we joined approximately 10 000 other people, visiting the Kennedy Space Centre. I can't think about space travel without thinking of the songs from the movie 'The Dish'. If you haven't seen the Dish, go and get it and watch it ... the download the music! The movie tells the story of the Satellite at Parkes (In Australia) and how it broadcast the footage of Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon. Awesome Aussie actors in it too.

Entry to the Space Centre costs is $55 (+tax) for adults. We paid an extra $20 something, for a special 'Launch Pad tour'. Totally worth the extra cost, I'll get back to why later. If they have up 'Sold Out' signs don't be afraid to ask. According to the signs today everything was sold out (except general admission) but Dad asked and we got a seat (or rather 3!) on this tour.

After stopping for some pictures and a bit of a look at some of the rockets on display in the Constellation Court we headed straight for the Imax theatre to experience 'Hubble 3D'. The movie was great, and unlike other 3D Imax movies I've seen I didn't feel seasick. The way they used the Hubble pictures to take us on a tour of some of the nebulae that are beyond my imagining in terms of distance away. 

I have to say here that 'space' is not, and never has been one of my favourite things to study. It's too big, too vast and I can't wrap my brain around it. I prefer the Ancient perspective that the stars are pinpricks in the curtain of heaven, through them we see heaven's glory shining through. But that's the poet in me. Today I came to a totally new understanding of 'space exploration'.

We went for a wander through the 'Early space' exhibit. Which was a little bit interesting, but I was wanting moon rocks, and moon dust and Buzz Aldrin's space suit. And it wasn't there.

The next stop was fascinating. Three times a day, an astronaut talks for 25 minutes sharing their experience of space. Today was Jim Reilly who's flown on 3 missions taking items up, and attaching them to, the International Space Station. His presentation was awesome, lots of pictures and funny stories, and he was very personable. We were in the front row and as he was leaving I got a big smile from him which was pretty cool!

Following this, we messed around for a bit, checking out the gift shop and the space exploration exhibit. I found a poster recruiting 'Teachers for Mars' ... I don't think so! I also had a got a docking a space craft with the Hubble Telescope and failed MISERABLY.

By this stage it was 3.40pm and time for our tour. Instead of doing the normal bus ride, we got on a special bus to take us out to launch complex 39. This was great, because the tour for the normal buses (and there are 40 of them that circle the complex) had a queue that was 2 hours long! 

On the way out to the launch complex we got to check out some of the wildlife that is protected in the huge nature reserve that is the Kennedy Space Centre. We saw a pair of Bald Eagles, and their nest. Which is as big as a King Sized bed. A few Alligators poked their heads out too, but what the Americans call big has nothing on our Crocs.

Bald Eagle

Eagle Nest

Next we circled the buildings that make up the hub of the two launch pads that are part of Launch Complex 39. The biggest building on the site is the Vehicle Assembly building. This is where the space craft are put together. The building has an enormous 'garage doors' that are 139 metres high. The need to be opened all the way to the top for some of the big rockets, but only 1 or 2 doors for a space shuttle like Atlantis. The building is so tall that they have to build special moisture evaporation areas because in high humidity clouds form inside and it starts to rain! The US flag on the outside is so huge it's hard to get a handle on, but each star is nearly 2metres across.

Mum at the Vehicle Assembly Building

Next door to this is the 'Orbiter processing facility'. It has a special garage door too ... but it's shaped to allow for the Space Shuttles tail fin. This building is where the shuttles go to be repaired once they've done their mission and returned.

We followed the 'crawler track' out to Launch Pad 39A. This launch pad is still set up from the final Atlantis mission in 2011, the final mission of the US Space Program. The launch pad has a huge support structure, that surprisingly survives each launch largely intact. Around the pad is a large grassy exclusion zone called the 'Fuel Field'. One one side is Liquid Hydrogen on the other Liquid Oxygen. Both are used to fuel up the big orange tank that you see strapped to the underside of the Space Shuttle.

Mum and Dad in the Fuel Field. Above their heads is the Rotating Service Structure. Above Mum's shoulder is the Fixed bit and below it sticking out to the side is the Mobile Launch Platform.

The launch pad is made up of a couple of bits, the Fixed Service Structure, the Rotating Service Structure and the Mobile Launch Platform. The MLP goes from the vehicle assembly building out onto the launch pad and kind of fits into the Fixed Service structure. The rotating service structure can then be moved over the top and is used to fit equipment into the payload bay of the shuttle. It also protects the shuttle from weather in the 30 days (or so) that it's waiting for takeoff. This bit then swings away from the shuttle for take off.

After being allowed a stop for photos on the fuel field, we were taken around and into the 'Flame Trench' (how cool does that sound!). During a launch this area is used to deflect the head and flame out  and away from the Space Shuttle. It's a massive cavern that is pumped with water during the launch. While the water does help to prevent fire, it's main function is to act as a noise suppressant. It's the reaction of the heat with this water that creates most of the cloud of smoke you see in a shuttle launch.

Looking up from the Flame Trench. The Mobile Launch Platform is on top of us, and the Fixed Service Structure is on the right.

The bricks on the floor in the flame trench. Even the flame retardant is being burned off!

The water tower and tubes that pump water during the launch.

The fence at the back of the Flame Trench. Completely rusted.

The flame deflectors (since removed from the flame pit).

Coming around the back of the Pad we were able to see the cables that carry the escape pods. Jim Reilly had spoken about the NASA test that's done prior to flight. The astronauts get all ready, go up into the shuttle, get strapped in and do everything down to the '0' count. But then they abort the take off. Instead they hop out of the shuttle and get into the escape pod ... unfortunately the risk of allowing them to use the pod to 'flying fox' their way down into nets below is deemed an unacceptable risk, reaching up to speeds of 55 miles. So no one (aside from 1 guy testing it) has ever had that fun!

The little black line about half way down is the zip line that carries the escape pods.

Nets the pods would slam in to.

Safety bunker for hiding in. Shower outside for cleansing prior to shower. This was in case of imminent explosion. They also had an option of a Armoured Personnel Carrier to drive themselves to safety, straight through the barrier fences.

Interestingly once the Astronauts are put into the shuttle everyone evacuates the launch pad, moving back to the Launch Control Centre which sits alongside the Vehicle Assembly Building and is over 3 miles away. The Astronauts don't get in and take off either. They sit there for approximately 2 hours. Jim told us that the pilot and navigator are really busy during that time ... but everyone else is stuck waiting. He managed a 35 minute nap on his 3rd trip.

The launch pad sits as it was left when Atlantis left in 2011. NASA has no plans to dismantle it, but perhaps one day in the future private enterprise will use it to take tourists into space.

Looking up the crawler track. You can see the two 'fins' that held Atlantis in place.

The bus dropped us off at another facility that we hadn't realised existed. Here we discovered moon dust, examples of the luna lander, and space suits covered in moon dust (which is very abrasive!).

We didn't poke around here much, but took another bus back to the main centre. The final order of business was to experience a simulated take off. I wasn't sure (these things sometimes make me very sick!) but I had a go. As we were 'blasting' into space (very rough, lots of bumps and I did feel the 'g's) I was thinking of my Nanna who once asked 'Think of me when you are standing on the moon looking back at earth.' Well Nanna June, this is the closest I'm going to get. If God wanted me on the moon he'd have put me there in the first place. (that was what I said to her at the time too!). It was quite beautiful when they opened the doors above us and we 'hung' upside down looking down at the earth. Not sure how they made me feel weightless (my chains were hanging into my mouth so I know I wasn't) but it sure felt that way!

Standing outside looking up at the night sky it was pretty cool to reflect that I was standing in the place where people had got to go up and look at those stars more closely. Our world is a small place.

Some random things I also learned:

- In space the sun rises and sets every 90 minutes

- Training for work in space takes place in Houston in a huge underwater pool. The pool is 4 stories deep ... wonder if Shamu's tank is that big? They submerse relics of Hubble and the International Space Station so the astronauts can practice space walks.

- The only part of the space shuttle not reused is the big orange fuel tank called the 'External Tank'. It burns up on re-entry.

Tomorrow we are off to another 'star' themed place. 'When you wish upon a star ...'

The moon over our hotel. 39A launched Neil Armstrong to the moon!