The Kennedy Space Center is NASA’s launch centre on Merritt Island, Florida. It was established as the Launch Operations Center in July 1962 and renamed the John F. Kennedy Space Center in November 1963, after the president was assassinated.
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The centre has been the launch site for human spaceflight from the United States, including the Apollo missions. In recent years, it has also been used by commercial launch providers.
The visitor complex
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the public visitor centre for the site. Its main attractions, according to the sources listed here, include:
- Space Shuttle Atlantis, displayed at the complex. Atlantis flew 33 missions between 1985 and 2011.
- The Apollo/Saturn V Center, a separate facility reached by bus tour, which houses a restored Saturn V rocket and an Apollo capsule.
- The Rocket Garden, with rockets from NASA’s early programmes.
- Mars Base simulator, an astronaut-training experience that the complex offers.
Bus tours to parts of the wider site, including Launch Complex 39, are included with admission according to the complex’s listings. Check the official site for current prices and opening times.
Editor’s note: an earlier version of this article included visitor details, prices and programme names that could not be confirmed against the visitor complex’s listings. Those details have been removed.
Sources
- Aerospace Guide, Kennedy Space Center (established July 1962, renamed November 1963): https://www.aerospaceguide.net/worldspace/kennedyspacecenter.html
- Wikipedia, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (Atlantis, Apollo/Saturn V Center, Mars Base simulator): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennedy_Space_Center_Visitor_Complex
- Daily Herald, visit report on Atlantis (33 missions, 1985 to 2011): https://www.dailyherald.com/?p=162571