Kennedy Space Center

In February I took a trip down to Florida with my wife and daughter. We rented a house and stayed there for a week with my in laws, just taking in the climate. It was super relaxing, when I could drag myself away from work on my laptop.

The highlight of the trip for me was visiting the Kennedy Space Center. I have been interested in science fiction for a long time, watching Star Trek, Star Wars, and various other cartoons. But recently I have become increasingly interested in how space travel actually happens, and the limitations of the real world.

I've been reading more about astronomy and listening to various pod casts to educate myself, as I have never taken a course on the subject.

Knowing a little, made me appreciate the trip to the Space Center much more. The scale of everything was simply awe inspiring. The size of the Vehicle Assembly Building used for building the Apollo rockets was incredible. Apparently the statue of liberty could get through the door without ducking. Oh and each of the stars on the american flag on the outside is 6 feet tall, and the blue area is the same size as a basket ball court. Just looking at it, it is hard to comprehend how large it it. I was telling my wife that they should build a house next to it, just so the tourists can get a better idea of how large it is.

We also had the opportunity to see the Discovery space shuttle on the launching pad. It was preparing to launch in the next few weeks, its cargo included solar panels for the international space station. Which is now nearly complete.

The tour included a walk through a replica of the IIS, so we could see how people were living in orbit. It was very interesting to try and imagine moving through it without feeling the force of gravity.

We returned on a second day to view more of the center, I'll be writing more about it in the future.

This trip was so much fun that I bought the vehicle assembly building on EarthClaim.com as well. You can see my deed here. I'm glad this one was still available as I could see why someone else would want it. I feel like I own a piece of history. It's really cool. If you are interested in owning a piece of the space center, I highly recommend you try right away, it will probably go fast!