Day 65 - Fire and Flame

01-16-2017

“Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed!” Neil Armstrong radioed Houston from the Lunar Module on July 20, 1969. We radio 'Lucerne, sportodimono here. Alfred has landed at Kennedy Space Center'.

At 09:15 we buy a ticket for the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral for $50. The parking fee is only $10, the NASA is not as greedy for money as Walt Disney and Universal. We are given a map and a schedule and are amazed at everything there is to see.

We visit (after making our daily plan) the exhibited original Space Shuttle Atlantis (last flight July 8-21, 2011). Seeing this glider up close is unbelievably cool and we feel like little kids again. With a great film, music, and well-thought-out effects, we are also well prepared. We are fired up for the whole theme. It's no wonder with so much fuel these rockets burn ;-)

Unfortunately, we have to move on soon because there is a 20-minute briefing on Cape Canaveral and its latest mission plans (manned flights to the Moon and Mars). By the way, another rocket launch will take place next Thursday (01-18-2017), but unfortunately, we will be in Miami by then. Apparently, there are 1-3 launches per month. Apparently, space exploration is being revitalized in the USA. After the mission status briefing, Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes tells us about his dream of becoming an astronaut and his flight to the ISS in the Russian Soyuz capsule. A very exciting and impressive lecture.

Afterwards, we need some fresh air and want to see a rocket. So we board the tour bus. We pass the production halls for the Space Shuttles and rockets as well as two launching ramps. On the way, we also see a few alligators and one of the largest eagle nests in Florida.

At the end of the bus tour, we arrive at the Apollo/SaturnV Center. There we can admire a Saturn V rocket in its original size, including the Apollo module at the head of the rocket. The size of the rocket is already impressive and how small the Apollo capsule is in comparison. In addition, there are many exciting facts and two films about the Apollo program in the USA.

At 02:30 PM, we take the bus back to the Kennedy Space Center because there is still a lot to experience there. Among other things, we watch two exciting 3D films ('Journey to Space' and 'A Beautiful Planet') with breathtaking images of the Earth, taken from the ISS (International Space Station). In between, we go back to the Space Shuttle Atlantis because we didn't have enough time in the morning.

Unfortunately, the center closes at 06:00 PM, so after the last film, we have to leave the premises. We would have liked to stay here for another hour or two because we haven't seen everything yet and it's extremely exciting. It was worth every cent and we will definitely come back.

The sun is slowly setting and it's getting dark. Time to start the car and return home. On the way, we buy our dinner at the supermarket. When we come out, we witness a burning spectacle that is not everyday and brings us the photo of the day.

Photo of the day: burning car in the parking lot