John F. Kennedy Space Center

[jzquince69]

apparently, the 747 w/shuttle piggyback flew over the beach in Daytona yesterday late afternoon- and then did about 3 flybys around the pad with the other shuttle which was ready to launch... I think the press has a few photos of that...

[jzquince69]

shuttle just landed at the Cape...

[Flight-FGB]

I have heard alot about John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC). It is the NASA space vehicle launch facility and Launch Control Center Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, United States

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is home to a number of museums, a simulation ride into space, two IMAX theatres, and a range of bus tours allowing visitors a closer look at various restricted areas.





Several articles of flight-used and flight-ready spacecraft are on display at KSC:

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

Some pretty cool photos that I found on The Weather Channel.

Here is the link:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/weath...ght_2010-11-02

[HARTride 2012]

http://www.baynews9.com/article/news...-keep-Atlantis

Kennedy Space Center will keep Atlantis

Last Updated: Tuesday, April 12, 2011

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER --
It's official: Florida gets to keep a space shuttle.

On the 30th anniversary of the first shuttle flight Tuesday, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced that Atlantis, the second-newest orbiter in the fleet, will have a permanent home at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Though there was a lot of competition around the country, Florida was an obvious favorite to keep a shuttle. After all, all 133 launches blasted off from KSC.

Atlantis is currently preparing to launch on the very last shuttle flight in June.

NASA decided it was only fitting to put the program to rest at the place where it all started.

As for the remaining orbiters:

Discovery will retire to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, in Washington.

Endeavour will retire to the California Science Center, in Los Angeles.

Enterprise will retire to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, in New York City.

The Space Coast was already home to two shuttle mock-ups, at the KSC Visitor Center and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, in Titusville.

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

The final shuttle launch for Endeavour scheduled for this afternoon with picture perfect weather forecasted. President Barack Obama, as well as Representative Gabrielle Giffords are scheduled to be in attendance to witness one of the last remaining orbiters in the NASA Fleet liftoff into orbit.

[HARTride 2012]

I wished the shuttle would have launched Friday. It sucks that they had problems with the heaters on the shuttle. Especially with all the delagates who were looking forward to attending, & Mrs. Giffords.

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

Just witnessed the liftoff of Endeavour a few minutes ago from here in Jax.

[Jasonhouse]

It was too damn cloudy to see much of anything from Tampa.

REALLY sucks it didn't take off on its original scheduled date. I took that day off and drove over to New Smyrna Beach with the girl I'm dating now, where a connection of hers got us into the restricted area of the Canaveral National Seashore. We were set up for a great beach viewing spot about 15 miles north of the pad, and would have seen the takeoff perpedicular to its path.

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43673883?GT1=43001

[Lakelander]

So what's the plan for Titusville, Melbourne and Cocoa now that the space program is closing up shop?

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

Due to the overcast conditions here in Jax, I was unable to witness the Atlantis Shuttle launch this morning.

[jzquince69]

they have the Saturn V rocket in a museum-type hangar on display at KSC. It is awesome, perhaps the largest thing on display in a museum-sense short of a docked aircraft carrier or battleship that's been retired.

I'm sure they'll build something similar for Atlantis.

they should've kept the Skylab/Saturn V launch pad with tower and moved it to a museum-type site and put in a real elevator and given tours to the top of it while building a museum holding area at its base.

maybe they will either use those giant Jawa Sandcrawler looking things with the new space vehicle or they can retire them in the same manner and open them up for tours as well. massive vehicles...

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

I hate that I never had an opportunity to witness a shuttle launch or landing at the Kennedy Space Center.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43835197...science-space/

[HARTride 2012]

I'm with you on that.

[Lakelander]

Now for the economic side of things. What's the plan going forward for the Space Coast? Are we looking at a minature Detroit situation in the making?


Titusville's Miracle City Mall today

The economic future is especially bleak these days in Titusville. The closing of the space shuttle program brought 1,500 layoffs of contractors at Kennedy Space Center on Friday.

Miracle City Mall, a source of civic pride in the past, is now an uncomfortable topic in Titusville. Curfman said he is on a month-to-month lease, waiting to be told when to vacate ahead of the wrecking ball.

In the meantime, the mall sits forlorn amid an empty expanse of asphalt, a sad antipode of the Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, completed three years earlier and visible across the Indian River. Miracle City Mall unofficially holds the designation given to retired launch pads at Cape Canaveral: "ABANDON IN PLACE."

Full article: http://www.theledger.com/article/201...-in-Titusville

[FLAWDA-FELLA]

Possibly Lakelander, I believe Brevard County will be hit pretty hard with all these layoffs happening all at once.