Florida’s Cape Canaveral on Merritt Island, near Titusville and Cocoa Beach is home to the Kennedy Space Center which houses a wonderful interactive complex with all kinds of space related activities. Huge relics of past space missions are on display and there are some excellent IMAX movies and interactive exhibits. There is plenty to do here for kids and adults alike and it’s easy to make a day of it.
Tickets to the park also give you access to seating at various viewpoints to witness regularly scheduled rocket launches. With SpaceX and their reusable rocket technology, these launches are becoming quite frequent (see schedule Rocket Launch Schedule | Kennedy Space Center).
Cape Canaveral is about a 3-hour drive from us and while we had once driven up as a day trip, it made for a very long day. Also, on our last attempt to witness a launch, the schedule was postponed at the last minute due to weather. This can of course happen at any time. We opted to spend the night so we could enjoy the day at the park and have a nice dinner instead of doing the long tiresome drive after a day in the sun. It also gave us a backup in case the launch was postponed and some extra time at the Kennedy Space Center.
Rocket launch at the Space Center Visitor Complex
The launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 CRS-26 was planned for 2:20pm and the best of the two viewing platforms, near Banana Creek at the Apollo/Saturn V Center was scheduled to open at 11:30am. Note that this varies according to the time of the launch.
We headed up early but got delayed and arrived on site at 11:45am. By the time we got our passes made at the customer service counter and headed towards the bus, it was already 12pm and we were turned away as the site had reached capacity. Seating is first come first served so the lesson here is to get there early. These rocket launches are popular events!
We got a Black Friday deal on a yearly pass so we will try again at a future date to witness a launch from the closer platform (and arrive well before the opening time to line up!).
The Banana Creek viewing area is 6.2 miles (approx. 10 km) from the launch site. Note that there is an even closer LC-39 observation area for which you can by VIP tickets, but this is only available for certain launches, not the SpaceX ones.
We ended up queueing for the secondary viewing area with small grandstands in the north lawn area next to the Atlantis Space Shuttle Center which opened at 12:30pm. This viewing area is slightly further at 7.5 miles (12 km) from the launch site. It is within the visitor complex so no bus transportation is necessary.
The line started well before the opening time and there were no concessions. Get your water and/or snacks before lining up. For something unique, sample the Space Dot’s ice cream. These are little pellets of nitrogen-frozen ice cream that come in a cup.
As the gates opened it was a mad dash, and then, as the saying goes: “Hurry up and wait!”. We were glad to be there early to find a good spot high up in the bleachers to get a good view. Note that once seated, it is difficult to leave and return from the crowded grandstand to use the washrooms or get snacks or drinks.
The area did have a commentator on site who explained where to look (“up” they said laughing), what the resupply mission was carrying, and other facts about the launch. There was also a huge screen showing information about the various stages of preparations underway as the launch time approached.
Time ticked by and the grandstands as well as the lawn area filled up as everyone waited with anticipation for the launch.
Finally, with the last seconds counting down the crowd yelled 10, 9, 8, … and then all eyes looked into the distance where we could see the rocket start to clear the tree line on its ascent. A few seconds afterwards, the sound caught up and we could hear the roar of the engines and everything in the grandstands rumbled and shook. I could swear I even smelled the smoke of all that kerosene burning in the distance.
In just minutes the Falcon 9 rocket was up and away leaving a huge plume of smoke on the horizon and a lot of smiling spectators. “Very impressive” the fellow next to me said.
The Falcon 9 is the 26th mission by SpaceX for Nasa conducted under a Commercial Resupply Services agreement. It carried a moon microscope for in-space medical diagnosis along with other supplies including a study to grow dwarf tomatoes at the International Space Station.
Lasting just over 8 minutes, we were told that the Falcon-9 rocket would descend after releasing its payload and return to land safely on a barge in the Atlantic for reuse. A marvel of technology.
The barge was a couple of hundred miles in the Atlantic and too far for us to see, but the huge screens showed the whole process right up to the landing. Those remaining in the stands cheered at the completion of the mission. There is also a Falcon Heavy that can carry a larger payload.
Rocket Launch Viewing Tip
The commentator told us that we should take a picture or two but avoid watching the whole spectacle through our viewfinder and this was good advice. The sound, the smell, and the shaking just exemplified the power behind the launch. It was over in a few minutes, but we were happy to have experienced it.
Even though you only see the rocket over the trees from the north lawn viewing area it is still very impressive. We will try and make it up earlier to see a future launch from an even closer vantage point.
Kennedy Space Center Visit
We spent the rest of the afternoon and the next morning revisiting the Kennedy Space Center. They had some new IMAX movies and a new Gateway section with 4 interactive rides which were interesting.
The day of the launch there were almost 10,000 people on site and the lines were enormous. The wait for the Gateway rides was over 60 minutes. The next day, the lines were non-existent and we went from one ride directly onto the next to try out all four Spaceport KSC journeys. Another good reason to extend your stay if coming up for a launch.
We also got to do the Atlantis Shuttle Launch Experience which was one of the most exciting simulations. With seating for almost 50, this simulator tilts upwards and sideways to deliver what feels like multiple Gs of force simulating the shaking and power that must be there when the shuttle launches. A definite must-do at the center.
Having been to the Kennedy Space Center before we skipped the bus ride tour of the command center and the Apollo/Saturn V Center this time, but first-time visitors will definitely want to do these.
We plan to be back to make the most of our yearly passes and see another launch soon.
Conclusion
The Kennedy Space Center is an impressive site and certainly worth seeing on its own, but if you time your visit right you might be able to see a rocket launch too. Do keep in mind that these are sometimes postponed due to wind or weather. It happened to us when we first visited. We made the best of it and truly enjoyed our time at the space center and learned a few things about space exploration.
Visiting the Kennedy Space Center from Fort Lauderdale or Miami is feasible in a day. However, it does make for a lot of driving (3-4 hours each way). If traveling with young kids, I would suggest that you spend at least one night in the area. You might even want to check out some of the other attractions in the nearby Orlando area.
Kennedy Space Center opening hours and admission:
- You need a park entry to see the launch from the facilities
- Hours 9am-5pm (last bus for the tour at 2:30pm)
Each attraction has scheduled times, so make sure to plan your day and catch the IMAX movies and other events according to the daily schedule and your priorities. Be sure to arrive a little early on busy days so as not to miss out.
Tip: Do the Gateway ride simulations first thing to avoid the growing lines as the day progresses.