Up, Up, and Away

We took a little time off from remodeling to take Stephanie to the Kennedy Space Center.  We had never been there either, so this was a first-time trip to the Atlantic coast for us.  For anyone who is expecting a Disney-type of adventure at Kennedy, think again. Most of the Center is devoted to displays and videos like one would find in a museum.  We did pass on the Angry Birds Adventure, though, so that, I suspect, was interactive.   However, for history buffs or anyone over age 10 who is interested in NASA and our space program, this is an interesting historical site that is worth seeing.

For those of us old enough to remember Sputnik and all of the stir that the Russians started, the overview of the entire space race program was one of remembrance.  For Stephanie, who remembers the Apollo missions, the history was a bit more recent.  One fact that amazed me was that just 55 years after the Wright brothers flew that first "plane" at Kitty Hawk, man was landing on the moon.  What an incredible accomplishment!

Another impression that we all got was that much of our space exploration in reality was done with a wish-and-a-prayer, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants mentality.  When man got into space, would he be protected if he was in a spacesuit and a pressurized capsule, or would the whole thing collapse and kill him anyway?  No one knew. Would man be able to swallow and to eat in zero gravity?  No one knew. Would liquid oxygen and other mixtures of fuels work, or would they blow up when they reached a certain altitude or temperature?  No one knew.  The level of uncertainty was unbelievably high, so those first astronauts like Alan Shepherd and John Glenn had to be both incredibly brave and slightly insane.

The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)  stands 525 feet tall
and covers eight acres.  The building has four high bay doors
through which the assembled space vehicles can travel
to the launch pad.

The exhibits at the Space Center were presented well and were interesting to view.  Personally, I thought that they relied a little too much on videos, but for those who had not lived through each phase of the space program, the videos were well made and an excellent teaching tool.  For the old folks, they refreshed the memory of what we had previously seen.

This is one of the rocket-transfer platforms on which the spacecraft
move from the VAB to the launch pad. This thing is mammoth!

Approaching one of the launch pads.  We actually
were able to stand in the area where the rockets went
off, so all of the brick were charred and burned from ignition.

We signed up for the MegaTour which allowed us to go behind the scenes into both the Vehicle Assembly Building and onto the actual launch pads.  This was a three-hour bus tour.  I am glad that we had the opportunity to go to these areas since at the end of this month, those tours will not longer be available.  NASA is gearing up for its next phase of operations, so they will be using the Assembly Building and strict security will once again be in place.  The launch pads were empty at this time, but they, too, will soon be used.  On February 20 of this month, a GPS satellite for the military will be shot into orbit.

The entire shuttle Atlantis is suspended in a building for everyone
to see.  The cargo bays are open, and nearby displays give people
hands-on experience with the controls.

The real reason the shuttle program ended: they let Rick drive!

Highlights of our visit included getting to see the space shuttle Atlantis and mock-ups of some of its systems and control rooms.  I was amazed both at how small the shuttles actually were and how cramped the quarters were in them.

We all enjoyed the video which showed the cooperative efforts of 17 nations as we built the Space Lab together.  Most people are unaware that to this day we have a revolving international crew of three astronauts who live six months at a time on the station.  It is an ongoing operational lab orbiting 240+ miles above the earth.

Just had to add the official mascot for NASA
for my grandson, Owen. Maybe someday
you will fly into space too.

We attended a NASA update to hear what was in the near and not-so-near future.  While some of the facility will remain in the hands of NASA, the government is now opening space exploration and business to private enterprises.  Such tasks as the shuttling of supplies, experiments, and equipment to the Space Lab will fall into the hands of private businesses.  NASA will use its scientists, funds, and facilities to move on to its next ventures: putting a permanent base on the moon, landing on and exploring large meteorites, developing long-distance/ time travel to places like Mars, and exploring space well beyond that planet and even beyond our galaxy.  Does that sound like science fiction?  Maybe, but what do you think the Wright brothers would have said if they had been told we would be standing on the moon just 55 years later?

A sunrise as seen from the balcony of our hotel in Cocoa Beach.

Each night of our trip, we ventures back to Cocoa Beach and the LaQuinta Inn.  The views from our fifth floor window onto the Atlantic and the Pier were marvelous; the Inn itself I would rate at about a C.  The beds were comfortable, but certain amenities like a fan in the bathroom to remove shower steam were lacking.  Overall, we had an enjoyable trip.  Our only true shopping was at the Kennedy gift shop which was a great disappointment, and at Ron Jon's famous surf shop in Cocoa Beach.  I actually got a cute sundress and sweater, and we picked up a couple of things to send back to Lindsay's family.

On Wednesday, on the way home, we stopped at one of three large outlet malls in Orlando. We were disappointed in the Coach shop, out-priced in the Tumi Outlet store, and comfortable in Eddie Bauer's.  Rick wanted some shirts; in the end, I bought two shirts and four pair of pants.  I have lost 16 pounds, and on a 5' 2" frame, that leaves me with a lot of baggy clothes.  I know that Eddie Bauer's tend to run on the generously-cut size, and that was evident again because I bought size 6 pants.  The last time I wore a size 6, I was in sixth grade. But I have clothes, now, that don't totally hang on me like I am a scarecrow.  They will serve me well until I see where my recovery takes me.

Both trikes are now suspended in the garage.  Success!

Today was a productive day.  While we were gone, Steve took in our packages and mail (thank you again, Steve) and that included the bike rack that Rick ordered.  We put the bike rack up this morning, so we once again have floor space on which to work in the garage.  If I had one wish for Gladys, it would be that she had a double instead of a single garage.  Ah, well, the old girl is just not that fat!

We also took a ride over to a countertop shop and in short order found a durable, man-made, solid surface countertop that will work for the laundry room. We knew with the small rim around the sink that granite would not work, and the woman at the countertop shop confirmed that. Rick had drawn a template, and we took in the utility sink; we have been promised the new countertop by Tuesday.

Tomorrow we plan to go to Tarpon Springs to do a little sight-seeing and shopping.  We hope that Stephanie is having a good time and that she is getting a welcome break from the never-ending cold and winter in the Midwest.  We enjoy having her here; we sincerely hope that Gladys has been a good hostess also.