After paying
admission we elected to go on the bus tour. The bus tour takes you to two
locations then returns you back to the Visitor Complex. The first destination is
the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry (LC 39). From here you get a breathtaking 360
degree view of the two giant Shuttle Launch Pads, 39A and 39B. The
panorama also encompasses the Launch Control Center, the well-traveled crawlerway and the massive Vehicle Assembly Building. You can also see
some of the other rocket launch sites
LC 39 Observation Complex
Crawerway
Crawerway
To the left: Shuttle Launch
Pad A
To the right: Shuttle Launch Pad B.
W/Shuttle Discovery prepped for launch.
Launch window is 7/13 - 7/31
Also visible from the LC 39 Observation Gantry are
the miscellaneous rocket launch platforms and the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)
Over the next 6 months 2 shuttle launches are planned and 5 rocket launches.
More information can be found at the
Kennedy Space Center
website.
Space Shuttle Main Engine
The LC 39 also
houses a rocket engine from one of the Space Shuttles. This particular
engine has completed 15 space flight and produced 375,000 pounds of thrust
during lift off.
