A Countdown of Countdowns: The Space Shuttle's Finale

Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex ~ At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, flags swing in the breeze as space shuttle Endeavour approaches Launch Pad 39A. Image credit: NASA/Kim ShiflettFor 50 years, NASA’s been famous for counting backward from 10 to zero. But a final countdown is now under way that will stand out among them all.

After 130 space shuttle missions, only four remain before the fleet is scheduled to retire. That’s four flights remaining to use the unique capabilities of the shuttle to finish construction on the International Space Station and prepare it for life after shuttle. Each flight is unique and extremely complicated. Attention to detail and planning will be needed to be successful. There are no easy flights remaining and there may be pauses in this countdown that will ensure the highest chance of mission success. The shuttle will fly each flight when it’s ready.

Take the time to look and really study the remaining shuttle flights. Here’s a close up look at the countdown of flights:

4: STS-131 — Experiment Experience Astronauts Alan Poindexter (left), STS-131 commander; and James P. Dutton Jr., pilot, occupy their stations on the flight deck during a Full Fuselage Trainer (FFT) mock-up training session in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Image credit: NASA

Much of the science done on the International Space Station involves difficult-to-understand concepts with long, hard-to-pronounce names. But the STS-131 mission will prove that’s not always the case. The experiment racks space shuttle Discovery will deliver to the space station inside its multi-purpose logistics module focus on things regular people here on Earth do every day: exercise and look out the window.

The experiment racks that STS-131 will deliver to the station – the window observational research facility and the muscle atrophy research and exercise system rack – are pretty much exactly what they sound like. The window observational research facility is designed to beef up the work that astronauts are able to do looking out the window of the Destiny laboratory by adding cameras, multispectral and hyperspectral scanners, camcorders and sensors. With those instruments, the crew will be able to study global climates, land and sea formations and crop weather damage like never before.

Meanwhile, the muscle atrophy research and exercise system rack – or MARES – will give the crew members a way to assess the strength of their muscles while in space. The deterioration of muscles not used while astronauts are floating in microgravity has long been a concern for space programs. This rack will mean that the crew members don’t have to wait until they’re back on solid ground to find out how their time in space affected their health. Instead, the MARES will help them exercise seven different human joints, gauge the strength of the muscles around those joints and decide how the countermeasures designed to prevent muscle atrophy are working.

3: STS-132 — Finishing Touches STS-132 crew members Mike Good and Tony Antonelli participate in a post insertion/de-orbit training session in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Image credit: NASA

The last International Space Station modules to be delivered by a space shuttle will come up on the STS-132 mission.

The last space station module to be delivered by a shuttle also happens to be the first Russian module delivered to the ISS by a shuttle. It will be filled, for the launch, with pressurized U.S. cargo, installed by a Canadian robotic arm and include a European robotic arm – all of which underscores once more the very international nature of the International Space Station.

2: STS-134 — Tradition of Discovery

STS-134 is scheduled to bring up the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. Designed to detect cosmic rays, it should continue the tradition of discovery that the space shuttles have fueled for almost three decades.

1: STS-133 — Spares in Space Attired in a training version of his shuttle launch and entry suit, STS-133 Mission Specialist Alvin Drew participates in a simulation exercise in the motion-base shuttle mission simulator at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Image credit: NASA

STS-133 is packed to the brim with one last load of spares.

There are debris shields for the Zvezda service module, and antennas for the S-Band communication system. There’s a spare ammonia tank assembly, a spare flex hose rotary coupler, several remote power control modules and even a spare arm for the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator.

“It isn’t glamorous, but it’s really important for the space station to execute its mission,” Kirk Shireman, International Space Station Program deputy manager said.

Besides, even though none of the equipment will actually be installed, it will still take at least three spacewalks to get it all in position to be ready when needed. And this flight will also be used to try out a new relative navigation sensor that could be used on future vehicles that will take astronauts to the International Space Station. So there should still be excitement to spare, as well as equipment.

“There are no boring shuttle flights,” John Shannon, Space Shuttle Program manager, said.

Shannon said it’s hard to imagine the end of the program at this point, but he expects it to be bittersweet.

“I’m sure it will be emotional,” he said. “But I suspect that it will not be sadness over the passing of that era, but happiness that we were a part of it. The assembly of the space station could not have been done without the space shuttle, and the assembly of the space station is one of the great engineering achievements of mankind.

“So the space shuttle will have done a good job.”

Kennedy Space Center Atlas V Launch Set For July 30th.

New-Generation Military Communications Satellite Ready For Delivery To Support Mid-2010 Launch

Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex ~ Lockheed Martin  has completed all factory testing of the first satellite in the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) program and the spacecraft is ready for delivery to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., where it will be prepared for a mid-2010 liftoff aboard an Atlas V launch vehicle.

The AEHF system is the successor to the five-satellite Milstar constellation and will provide significantly improved global, highly secure, protected, survivable communications for all warfighters serving U.S. national security.

“This sophisticated satellite was designed, built and tested by a joint government/industry team dedicated to providing secure, real-time connectivity to deployed forces around the globe,” said Col. Michael Sarchet, commander of the Protected Satellite Communications Group at the U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center. “We look forward to achieving mission success as we prepare to launch this critical national asset in a few months.”

A single AEHF satellite will provide greater total capacity than the entire Milstar constellation currently on-orbit. Individual user data rates can be up to five times higher than Milstar’s highest speed. The faster data rates will permit transmission of tactical military communications, such as high-quality real-time video and quick access to battlefield maps and targeting data.

“This achievement is direct testimony to the team’s commitment to operational excellence and mission success,” said Mike Davis, Lockheed Martin’s AEHF vice president. “We are very proud of our role in providing critical protected communications systems for the nation and have great confidence in the unprecedented new capabilities this vitally important satellite will provide to the warfighter.”

The second AEHF spacecraft (SV-2) is in the midst of its final performance test known as Final Integrated System Test which will verify all spacecraft interfaces, demonstrate full functionality and evaluate satellite performance. The third AEHF satellite, SV-3, is gearing up for acoustic testing, one of several critical environmental tests that validate the overall satellite design, quality of workmanship and survivability during space vehicle launching and on-orbit operations. SV-2 and SV-3 are on track for launch readiness in 2011.

The AEHF team is led by the U.S. Air Force Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is the AEHF prime contractor and system manager, with Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Redondo Beach, Calif., as the payload provider.

“Launching the first AEHF satellite will mark yet another revolution in assured military satellite communications by a government and industry team that has delivered unmatched capabilities for secure transmission of the highest priority military information,” according to Stuart Linsky, vice president of Satellite Communications for Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Aerospace Systems sector.

Lockheed Martin is currently under contract to provide three AEHF satellites and the Mission Control Segment. The program has begun advanced procurement of long-lead components for a fourth AEHF satellite.

 
This is yet again, another great performance that is set to showcase the wonders that await at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors complex. To purchase you tickets to view this launch from the welcome center, please click here to purchase your Kennedy Space Center tickets at a discount or call us toll free at 1-877-406-4836.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex unveiled a new exhibit on April 22, 2010

 

Kennedy Space Center, Fla. (April 30, 2010) -

NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex unveiled a new exhibit on April 22, 2010, Science On a Sphere, at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville. Science On a Sphere is a global display that takes visitors on a three-dimensional journey around the world and throughout the solar system via dynamic, animated images of the atmosphere, oceans and planets.Imagine looking at Earth from space, witnessing a season of hurricanes moving across the Atlantic, watching commercial air traffic movements all across the planet, and examining changes in sea currents and temperatures across the globe. The sphere provides guests with a representation of a view of the Earth and planets as if they were viewed from space.

 This engaging new exhibit at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame will allow students and the general public to examine the planets and moons of our solar system. Guests will be able to learn how space technology can aid in meteorological sciences such as hurricane prediction and global weather trends.  The images are displayed onto the surface of a six-foot in diameter suspended sphere in a darkened room, and visitors can walk around the entire globe for a complete perspective of the phenomenon being viewed.

 ”This new instrument will enhance our ability to tell the NASA story, and help illustrate earth and space science to people of all ages, and improve our ability to deliver inspirational science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning,” said Bill Moore, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Chief Operating Officer.

 The system is pre-programmed with hundreds of data sets created by the National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA, and also includes several films, such as Footprints and Largest, that have been produced by NASA. Science On a Sphere is included with admission to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, and the operating schedule will vary throughout the day. The Astronaut Hall of Fame is included with admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

 The new Science On a Sphere exhibit at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame is a collaboration between NASA Education and Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, operators of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. 

 About Science On a Sphere^®

Science On a Sphere is a room sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display planetary data onto a six foot diameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe. Researchers at the NOAA developed Science On a Sphere as an educational tool to help illustrate Earth science to people of all ages. Animated images of atmospheric storms, climate change, and ocean temperature can be shown on the sphere, which is used to explain what are sometimes complex environmental processes in a way that is simultaneously intuitive and captivating. For more information, visit http://sos.noaa.gov/. 

 About Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens at 9 a.m. Closing times vary by season.  The Visitor Complex is open daily except December 25 and certain launch days.  Admission includes the Shuttle Launch Experience, Kennedy Space Center Tour, 3D IMAX^® space films, Astronaut Encounter, all exhibits, and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame^®, including the new Science On a Sphere^®.  Admission is $36.50 for adults and $27.50 for children ages 3-11.  For more information or to purchase discount Kennedy Space center tickets, call 877-406-4836 or visit www.officialticketcenter.com

STAR TREK LIVE, A new interactive stage show at the Kennedy Space Visitors Complex

 KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (April 12, 2010) – STAR TREK LIVE, a new interactive stage show from CBS Consumer Products and Mad Science^® Productions, will make its worldwide debut at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on June 11, 2010.

 Based on the popular science-fiction franchise, the show takes audiences on an exhilarating 30-minute journey offering an unforgettable live theatrical experience for fans of all ages. The show combines fun special effects, audience interaction and an exploration of real space-age technology.

Produced by Mad Science^® Productions, under a license from CBS Consumer Products, STAR TREK LIVE introduces a world of discovery by combining science with entertainment to teach and encourage scientific literacy. In the show, the audience portrays new Starfleet cadets assembled for the first day at the Starfleet Academy led by its best and brightest. The new cadets will have to learn quickly the intricacies of living and working in space, modern space travel and the latest in communication and technology.  

“STAR TREK LIVE could not have found a better home for its world debut,” said Mad Science Productions Managing Director and STAR TREK LIVE Producer Leonard Lipes.  “Based on the storyline and the fiction-to-reality show concept, both NASA and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex were clearly our first choice of partners for this co-branding opportunity allowing visitors to follow in the footsteps of Star Trek’s iconic characters, to boldly go where no one has gone before.”

“The Kennedy Space Center has captured the world’s attention and fed its imagination for the farthest reaches of outer space, and for that reason alone we can’t think of a better destination to launch STAR TREK LIVE,” said Liz Kalodner, Executive Vice President and General Manager of CBS Consumer Products. “This show offers all the excitement, ingenuity and of course, logic, that Star Trek fans have come to expect with an added bonus of learning something along the way.”

“Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is a must-see for anyone who has ever been intrigued by space exploration – and Star Trek fans are clearly within that demographic,” said Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Chief Operating Officer Bill Moore.  ”STAR TREK LIVE is a perfect companion to the other family-friendly activities and interactive programs we offer at Kennedy Space Center leaving visitors with a new-found understanding of the history and evolution of the U.S. space program.”

Located just 45 minutes east of Orlando, Fla., Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex annually hosts more than 1.5 million guests from around the world. STAR TREK LIVE will be presented five times a day at the facility’s 300-seat Astronaut Encounter Theater. The show will be open daily and is included with regular admission to Kennedy Space Center tickets.

Since 1997, Mad Science® Productions has specialized in the development, production, and distribution of spectacular stage shows for theme/amusement parks, performing arts centers and more across North America. With STAR TREK LIVE, Mad Science Productions will continue to engage and attract large family audiences with multi-sensory experiences, interactive audience involvement, and high-quality educational outreach materials.

For more information about the live action show, call Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex at 877-406-4836 or visit www.officialticketcenter.com 

About STAR TREK LIVE

Audience members join Starfleet Academy only to be unexpectedly whisked into an adventure steeped in the grand tradition of Star Trek. STAR TREK LIVE combines cutting-edge special effects, unmatched audience interaction, cool science and on-screen appearances from Captain Kirk and Spock themselves to create an exhilarating and unforgettable theatrical experience.
Eager to learn from Starfleet’s best and brightest, our cadets assemble, anxious to prepare for their first day at the Academy. As we are introduced to the Academy, the Earth itself comes under attack from a renegade Romulan, leaving the fate of the future itself in the hands of our cadets. Our cadets will have to quickly learn the intricacies of living and working in space, modern space travel and the latest in communication and technology as they draw on the achievements of science in the 21st century. It will require all our knowledge, ingenuity, logic and an exploration of science to discover what is happening and how to set things right before it’s too late!
STAR TREK LIVE is a thrilling journey for audiences of all ages! Awesome special effects, unrivalled audience interaction and an exploration of real space-age technology take everyone on an unforgettable journey through the Star Trek universe. Join STAR TREK LIVE and boldly go where no one has gone before^TM!

About Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is located just east of Orlando and is the gateway to a working space center and one of Florida’s most popular destinations. It’s a 70-acre arena of inspirational, educational and entertaining experiences.  Admission includes the new STAR TREK LIVE, Shuttle Launch Experience, Kennedy Space Center Tour, 3D IMAX^® space films, Astronaut Encounter, all exhibits and shows, and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame^®, featuring historic spacecraft, simulator rides and the world’s largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens at 9 a.m. Closing times vary by season.  The Visitor Complex is open daily except December 25 and certain launch days.  Admission is $36.50 for adults and $27.50 for children ages 3-11. For more information, call 877-406-4836 or visit www.officialticketcenter.com

Did you know that the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame (AHoF) at Cape Canaveral is included with your purchase of Discount Kennedy Space Center Tickets?  The AHoF houses the world’s largest collection of astronaut memorabilia, displays, exhibits, and tributes dedicated to the heroes of the Mercury, Gemini, and Ap0llo Space Shuttle Programs. 

NEW to Kennedy Space Center ~ The Science on a Sphere exhibit at the AHoF and Star Trek Live! 

NEW Science on a Sphere Exhibit at the Astronaut Hall of Fame

NEW Science on a Sphere Exhibit – Imagine looking at Earth from space, witnessing a season of hurricanes moving across the Atlantic, watching commercial air traffic movements all across the planet, and examining changes in sea currents and temperatures across the globe. Science On a Sphere provides a three-dimensional representation of a view of the Earth and planets as if they were viewed from space.

This engaging new exhibit at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame allows you to examine the planets and moons of our solar system and learn how space technology can aid in meteorological sciences such as hurricane prediction and global weather trends. 

NEW Star Trek Live – Join Starfleet Academy only to be unexpectedly whisked into an adventure steeped in the grand tradition of Star Trek. Mad Science presents STAR TREK LIVE, a live 30 minute interactive show combining cutting-edge special effects, unmatched audience interaction, cool science and on-screen appearances from Captain Kirk and Spock themselves to create an exhilarating and unforgettable theatrical experience.

Science on a Sphere and Star Trek Live are both included with a general admission ticket and with your purchase of Discount Kennedy Space Center Tickets.  For more information, please visit our website or Kissimmee Location, The Official Ticket Center.  You may also call us at 1-877-406-4836.

A box of commemorative items for NASA was packed inside space shuttle Atlantis for the STS-132 mission.

Kennedy Space Center ~ There are lots of ways for an everyday item to take on a special significance, but few work better than carrying that item into space.

The crew of STS-132 aims to make scores of objects already precious in their meaning more inspirational by taking them on this mission to the International Space Station.

A lapel pin from the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s “Race for a Cure,” for example, will be tucked inside an Atlantis locker. A green and black rubber wristband from Eli’s Army Cancer Survivors also is making the trip, along with a wristband from Team G Force Cancer Survivors.

There also are mementos from several other organizations inside Atlantis. A teddy bear from the Cleft Palate Foundation of Chapel Hill, N.C., a lapel pin from the Alzheimer’s Association of Chicago, and flags from the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International and Make-A-Wish Foundation will be flown into orbit.

Lapel pins and similar-sized commemoratives often are carried because they are small and lightweight, but their symbolism can be immense. The crew tucked a pin from the “Imagine There’s No Hunger” campaign, for example, into the flight kit.

There also is room for bulkier items including banners, shirts and jerseys. For instance, Atlantis astronauts are taking a red T-shirt from the charity organization Save the Children.

The astronauts also are carrying several other lighthearted personal items, such as a 4 by 6-inch photo of Peter Pizza in Brooklyn, a piece for a Lego space shuttle and a DVD from the 2009 induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A red squeeze ball from the business network CNBC also is along for the ride.

Such commemorative items typically reflect a personal interest or achievement by a crew member and NASA makes room for them. The expectation is that, back on Earth, many of the objects will inspire future explorers and achievements.

Atlantis and the other shuttles typically carry a host of things, such as patches, flags and other objects intended as special rewards to groups or individuals or goodwill items that are not always sold at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex gift shop.

Two large boxes, outfitted for space duty, have been bolted between the braces on Atlantis’ airlock in the payload bay. The triangular containers have been packed with 3 1/2-inch American flags, some 755 small international flags and 1,200 Space Shuttle Program flags. There also are six packages of the red, white and blue flags designed for the individual orbiters.

Shuttles have carried such mementos for more than 30 years. Space shuttle Enterprise, for example, was loaded with patches and flags when it was released from a 747 on several test flights in 1977. Columbia carried a similar assortment on STS-1 and each mission thereafter has included a host of similar items.

Astronaut Gus Grissom is credited with carrying the first mementos into space when he took rolls of dimes on his Mercury flight in 1961.

Almost 50 years later, the goal and effect remain the same: to celebrate and inspire exploration.

If you would like to visit the world famous Kennedy Space Center and learn about these exciting programs first hand, then please call our office toll free at 1-877-406-4836 to purchase your discount Kennedy Space Center tickets today. Call now!

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex~ Have you ever wanted to be a astronaut or have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel into space? I sure have! Living here in Florida has it’s perks and Kennedy Space Center is definitely one of them. Every time there is a launch coming up, me and my wife and kids all load up and drive 45 minutes to the beautiful Atlantic space coast and watch a show that no other theme park here in Orlando can even come close to! I can remember sitting in my grandparents back yard in Winter Park, Florida, watching the Saturn V rockets take our brave astronauts to the moon from Cape Canaveral and thinking how little me was going to do that someday! I think everyone has sat and dreamed about traveling into space while looking up at a beautiful moon or while watching Star Trek’s Captain Kirk travel at warp speed thru the galaxy on his next adventure. I sure did! Well I have the next best thing and it is only 45 minutes from my house here in Orlando. Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex is one of the most exciting attractions that Florida has to offer and there are plenty of hands on activities to set the avid space enthusiast into a kid in a candy shop mode. Travelers from all around the world come here to go to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World Orlando and now I am very happy to see Kennedy Space Center as one of their top destinations while here on their vacations. It makes me very proud as an American to share this very precious and important historical location with my guests and friends from around the world. Where else on earth can you go and meet an actual astronaut and ask questions that you have always wanted to ask or touch a actual moon rock. I could sit and write all day about how much there is to do out at Kennedy Space Center, so I have added this great youtube video on what a day at Kennedy Space Center would be like for you and your family when you come to my beautiful state of Florida!

If you would like to add this exciting adventure to your vacation, then please contact our office to get your discount Kennedy Space Center tickets today! Remember that Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex is offering a Second Day Free and visit to the Astronaut Hall of Fame so don’t wait, buy today!

Astronaut Encounter is included with Kennedy Space Center General Admission

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida offers guests the chance to walk the grounds and experience the journey of the pioneers of space exploration.  During these hard economic times, Kennedy Space Center is committed to offering its guests the best value for their money. 

Discount Kennedy Space Center Tickets include the 2-hour Bus Tour into NASA, two one-hour IMAX movies, the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, the Astronaut Encounter Theater, and the Shuttle Launch Experience.  Kennedy Space Center also offers a FREE 2nd Day within 7 Days, FREE Parking, FREE Wheelchair and Strollers, and FREE Kennels.

General Admission Ticket Includes:

Kennedy Space Center Tour

Included with admission, this unique tour takes you to the International Space Station Center, LC 39 Observation Gantry, and the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The tour bus departs every 15 minutes from the Visitor Complex.

Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral are working space launch facilities. Tours may be altered or closed due to operational requirements. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Prices subject to change and do not include tax.

IMAX Space Films Now Showing:

 
NEW “Hubble 3-D” – Float beside space-walking astronauts and experience the powerful story of the Hubble Space Telescope during the new IMAX® film Hubble 3D at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, Hubble 3D offers an inspiring and unique look into the Hubble Space Telescope’s legacy and highlights its profound impact on the way we view the universe and ourselves.

Length: 43 minutes

 
“Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3-D” – Presented and narrated by Tom Hanks, IMAX “Magnificent Desolation” features rarely seen NASA footage with live-action renditions of the lunar landscape to propel audiences nearly a quarter-million miles above the Earth’s surface.

Length: 40 minutes

U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame

Come live the human side of space at the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, complete with the sights, sounds and experiences of the famous astronauts who first ventured into the frontiers of space. Experience exhibits dedicated to our nation’s astronauts, including the world’s largest collection of personal memorabilia and realistic astronaut training simulators.

NEW – Science on a Sphere – Imagine looking at Earth from space, witnessing a season of hurricanes moving across the Atlantic, watching commercial air traffic movements all across the planet, and examining changes in sea currents and temperatures across the globe. Science On a Sphere provides a three-dimensional representation of a view of the Earth and planets as if they were viewed from space.

Explore the Astronaut Hall of Fame at Kennedy Space Center

Astronaut Encounter Theater

More than 500 men and women – of the Earth’s six billion people – have ever flown in space. But each day at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, guests get the rare opportunity to meet veteran astronauts from NASA’s Astronaut Corps.  The daily Astronaut Encounter briefings allow plenty of time for discussion, so bring your questions – and your camera.

Astronaut Encounter Schedule – Subject to Change:

May 7-13:  Bob Springer

May 14-18:  Bruce Melnick

May 19-23:  Roger Crouch

May 24-28:  Fred Gregory

May 29-June 6: Sam Gemar

June 7-12:  Charlie Walker

Shuttle Launch Experience

It’s 3… 2… 1… launch as guests take their own exciting journey of the Space Shuttle’s rush to Earth’s orbit. On Shuttle Launch Experience, visitors strap in to the sights, sounds and sensations of a real Space Shuttle launch.

The journey begins as passengers enter the Shuttle Launch Simulation Facility, a looming six-story structure that looks like the actual Space Shuttle facilities at Kennedy Space Center. As crew members ascend along the gantry, veteran shuttle astronauts share testimonials, setting the stage for the experience to come.

Strap in and try the Shuttle Launch Experience

Entering the heart of Space Shuttle operations for the pre-launch briefing, crew members are guided by veteran Space Shuttle Commander Charlie Bolden as he takes them step-by-step through the shuttle launch sequence. Brilliant video screens spring to life on shuttle-like robotic arms. Anxious moments arise as atmospheric sound and lighting effects dramatize the moments before your space shuttle launch.

Insider Tip:  Shuttle Atlantis will be taking off on Friday, May 14.  Atlantis is already out on the launch pad, so don’t miss this amazing opportunity to catch a glimpse of Atlantis during the bus tour! 

For more information, or to purchase Discount Kennedy Tickets, please visit our website or Kissimmee Location, The Official Ticket Center.  You may also call us toll-free at 1-877-406-4836.

As we previously reported, the Atlantis Shuttle will be taking off from Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral on May 14th.  However, there has been a change to the date that tickets for the launch will go on sale.  Kennedy just reported via Twitter that STS-132 Launch Tickets will go on sale Monday, April 26th at 9:00 AM on the Kennedy website.

To purchase general admission Discount Kennedy Space Center Tickets, please visit our website or Kissimmee Location, The Official Ticket Center.  For more information, please give us a call toll-free at 1-877-406-4836.

Shuttle Atlantis is set to launch May 14th at Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida will be selling launch tickets for Shuttle Atlantis starting Thursday, April 22nd.  Atlantis is scheduled to launch on May 14th at 2:19 pm and will carry an integrated cargo carrier to deliver maintenance and assembly hardware, including spare parts for space station systems. In addition, a Mini Research Module will be permanently attached to the bottom port of the Zarya module.

If you’re interested in purchasing general Discount Kennedy Space Center Tickets (including the 2-hour bus tour of the facility and 2 one-hour IMAX movies), please visit our website, The Official Ticket Center.  If you’re interested in purchasing Launch Tickets, check out the packages below.

Launch Viewing from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
$38 adult/$28 child (ages 3-11) plus tax

This package includes an Admission ticket to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex with launch viewing from the main Visitor Complex grounds. You will also receive a launch package with a vehicle placard to access the Visitor Complex on launch day.

Special launch day activities take place at the Visitor Complex with live NASA countdown audio and video presentations on a jumbo-sized screen, astronaut appearances and launch briefings.

On sale Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

 
NASA Causeway Launch Viewing Transportation Admission Package
$56 adult/$46 child (ages 3-11) plus tax

This package includes a Launch Transportation Ticket to view the launch from the NASA Causeway and an Admission ticket to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. You will also receive a launch package with a vehicle placard to access the Visitor Complex on launch day.

On sale Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

For more information, please visit our website, The Official Ticket Center, or call us toll-free at 1-877-406-4836.