Santa Ynez Valley

Santa Ynez Valley
Our Backyard

Thursday, April 10, 2014

"To Infinity and Beyond"

After visiting the Orlando area, we headed over to Florida's "Space Coast". One of our major goals was to visit the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
We stayed at the Seasons in the Sun RV Resort just northwest of Titusville.




This is the "Rocket Garden" at the Kennedy Space Center, with the rockets used during the evolution of the USA's manned space program.



This was our "ride" during our visits to the center.



Our tour guide explaining the Space Shuttle system using a very detailed, high tech model.



This is NASA's Launch Complex 39-A which was originally built for Apollo missions, then modified for Shuttle launches.  It will soon be leased to a commercial space launch company.  The other Launch Complex, 39-B, has already begun modification for use with NASA's upcoming Space Launch System.



A local resident inside the fence designed to keep it out.



Down in the "Flame Trench"
This is where the rocket exhaust was deflected and channeled out away from the bottom of the launch pad.



Another view of SLC-39A



The NASA Vehicle Assembly Building
This was originally built to assemble the Saturn-V moon rockets.  It was then converted to assemble the Space Shuttles for launch.  It is still the 6th largest building by volume in the world.



This is the business end of the 1st stage of the Apollo-V moon rocket.  These five engines generated a total of 7.5 millions pounds of thrust to lift the 6.2 million pounds that the moon rocket weighed at launch.



Chart comparing the Saturn-V moon rocket with other objects



The Space Shuttle Atlantis, the last shuttle to fly into space


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