| When you mention the words "Orlando vacation" to | | | | unmanned Viking probes. You can even touch a piece |
| most people they think of Disney World and the other | | | | of Mars because a meteorite that originated from |
| theme parks in Central Florida. The imagination and | | | | Mars is also on display. |
| creative effort that have been put into the theme | | | | Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be an |
| parks is amazing and has attracted visitors from | | | | astronaut on a shuttle flight? If so then make sure you |
| around the world. However, reality is sometimes just | | | | visit the Shuttle Launch simulator. The whole room |
| as exciting as imagination, and nowhere is this more | | | | vibrates as the Shuttle takes off and when you "reach |
| evident than at the Kennedy Space Center. | | | | orbit" you will get an astronauts-eye view of the Earth. |
| If you are visiting Orlando, then you should certainly set | | | | Speaking of astronauts, you can meet an astronaut at |
| aside some time to visit the Space Center. Let me | | | | the space center. Throughout the year astronauts |
| introduce some of the attractions that have made the | | | | from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and the Shuttle eras |
| Kennedy Space Center a big hit with visitors to Florida. | | | | meet with the visitors. |
| The expeditions to the moon in the early 1970s are an | | | | During the 50 years of the Space Age our astronauts |
| historic milestone for humanity and you can get a first | | | | and space probes have taken dramatic footage of |
| hand view of the technology that made these flights | | | | outer space. You can see the best shots in a |
| possible at the Saturn 5 center. Here you can look at a | | | | spectacular fashion at the IMAX 3D Theater and really |
| full scale rocket which measures more than 360 feet | | | | get a feel for what it is like to be an astronaut. |
| high and weighs in at 6.2 million pounds. You not only | | | | There is a lot to see at the Kennedy Space Center |
| get a gaze at the mammoth rocket but can also take | | | | and the best way to make sure that you see it all is to |
| a simulated voyage to the moon and get up close to | | | | take a guided tour of the facility on a bus ride that |
| everything with a detailed exhibition. | | | | stops at all the major installations of the Center. The |
| You can even go further into the history of space | | | | first bus leads at 9:30 AM and there are continuous |
| travel in the Early Space history section of the Space | | | | throughout the day. |
| Center. The early Mercury and Gemini space capsules | | | | As you leave the center you can pick up a souvenir at |
| are on display along with the control panel that the | | | | the Space Shop. You can choose from over 8000 |
| mission controllers used to guide the early space flights. | | | | items of space memorabilia. |
| Almost everyone is fascinated by Earth's neighbor, the | | | | This is only a sampling of what you can expect at the |
| red planet Mars, and a section devoted to the Viking | | | | Space Center, so be sure to visit this entertaining and |
| landings of 1976 let's you take a trip to Mars in a | | | | educative attraction during your stay in Central Florida. |
| simulated visit that retraces the route followed by the | | | | |