Kennedy Space Center
Situated at the gateway to Launch Complex 39, where Apollo 11 set off and delivered the first man to walk
on the moon in 1969, and today's space shuttles blast off into orbit, the Kennedy Space Center is an
experience to savor. Here you have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the history of the US space
programme, experience the feeling of a countdown to blast off, and get a glimpse of the possible future of
space technology. The first rockets were launched in the early 1950's from Cape Canaveral. The National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was founded in 1958 with the task of carrying out the
peaceful exploration and use of space. They later used the Cape Canaveral site to launch satellites and the
manned and unmanned flights of the early Gemini and Mercury programmes. In 1964, NASA moved
operations to Launch Complex 39 at Merritt Island. Apollo 8 was the first launch from the Kennedy Space
Center, and took place in late1968. The center, which is one of Florida's top visitor attractions, has had the
recent addition of the $37 million, stunning Apollo/Saturn V Center, which can be visited via the bus tour.
Access is also granted to the International Space Station (ISS). For those people intending to take young
children, the half-day visit is usually long enough.
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