Unfortunately, both answers are true and the folks in the Cape Canaveral area are not thrilled. Turns out that for US Astronauts to get to the International Space Station they will have to travel on a Russian Soyuz space vehicle.
While I don't get into politics very often, it seems to me that we would be better off investing in the space program, which has big technology benefits that filter into our lives and CREATE JOBS than squandering trillions on unnecessary wars.
So much for politics. Now to the fun.
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| The Rocket Garden (Saturn V on the right laying on its side) |
The tour started in 1961 at the blockhouse used for the Mercury Program, which has been preserved for future generations. What is striking is the technology of the day and the proximity of the launch pad to the blockhouse (approximately 300 feet).
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| Redstone Rocket as viewed from Launch Control |
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| Launch switch and famous words "Let's light this candle!" |
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| Redstone Rocket |
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| Borroughs Central Processing Unit |
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| Operator's Console |
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| Power Supply |
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| Saturn V on display |
As we traveled in our bus to the various launch sites, I wondered why they did continued to build new sites and like magic the tour guide read my mind and answered my question. The space program was moving so fast that the next two launch sites were already under construction. Speaking of launch sites,we were only allowed to visit abandoned sites. The active sites are off limits as is taking photos of them (courtesy of the Department of Defense).
At the beginning of the tour we crossed a bridge which gave us a view of an active launch site some distance to the north. The driver asked the participants to guess the distance to the site and offered a commemorative (plastic) coin to the person whose guess was closest. I guessed 5 miles and won the coin (Nathaniel take notice. The coin is for you). The day before I was having fun with Diana guessing the distance between bridges on the ICW so I had a bit of an edge.
At the site there is a memorial to the fallen astronauts and a time capsule that honors the original 7 Mercury Astronauts. The time capsule was dedicated in 1964 and will not be opened for 500 years.
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| Mercury 7 Memorial |
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| Astronaut Space Mirror Memorial |
The tour took over four hours and left time for only one activity at the Visitor Center. I chose the Shuttle Launch Experience, which would qualify as a 1st class Disneyland ride. The ride simulates the first 8 minutes of the Space Shuttle Launch where you go from zero to 17,000 MPH and climb 64 miles. The program starts with an explanation and video of what you are going to experience so that when you actually sit in the chair the whole thing makes sense.
All in all a spectacular day. Only problem, to much to see and not enough time. Maybe we will return nest year as we pass through enroute to souuthern Florida.
Written by Les.
Not to get into a political arguement, but maybe we could do space exploration instead of funding Cowboy poetry, NPR (we only have hundreds of radio stations to choose from), and endless other items that ought to be left to the states, or private companies and individuals. If George Soros wants to have NPR, then he can certainly afford to fund it, rather than tax the rest of us. Wars - supposedly BOTH parties have decided that we have a national interest at stake - or stopping slaughter in Libya is worth a bit of money. But where the parties disagree is in all the other unnecessary things the Federal government spends our money on. Just a thought.
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