Uploaded June 2021 | Updated September 2026, 7 hours ago
Cyndi and I visited the KSC in 2012 with our friend Cliff Broughton. That video is here (of course): youtube.com/watch?v=3SlmTeR19Us
This year (2021) we went back with our friends Jeff and Bobbie Wittich. Jeff is dying of brain cancer (sucks), with maybe a couple of years to live. His mobility is already limited by the cancer and the therapy that's prolonging his life. We asked him if there were some places he'd like to see while he had time, and the KCS was at the top of his list.
So we all flew down to Orlando and drove over to the Cape for a two day visit. We expected them to be short days because Jeff doesn't have a lot of stamina. We maximized his energy reserve by getting a wheelchair. At home, he doesn't use one, but is beginning to use a 'rollator' for stability while walking. And he surprised us - and probably himself - by hanging in there from opening to closing both days, not to mention the travel days before and after, getting through the airport (security was interesting). I visited them the day after we returned, and he was doing well - no heavy price for all that activity.
The KCS has seen some changes since our 2012 visit. This trip came while much of the country was 'reopening' from Covid-19 restrictions. Being a Federal facility, the KCS was still mandating masks indoors and in lines outside. Most of the facilities were open except the bus tours to the Vehicle Assembly Building and launch pads (you can see those in our 2012 video).
In 2012, we saw the Space Shuttle Atlantis in the VAB, getting ready to be installed in a new building then under constructions. This year, that building was complete, and the Atlantis display and much more was way more than I expected. it was awesome. There were a couple new rockets in the Rocket Garden, and I think the Mars building was new.
The busses were running to the Apollo/Saturn V center. That big building is located a few miles from the main Visitor Center. You'll see how wheelchair patients are accommodated on the bus. In 2012, I was the one in a wheelchair because a hernia limited my ability to walk long distances, but I was able to get on and off the bus on my own.
The Apollo/Saturn V Center is an homage to NASA's history. Much of the rest of the Visitor Center exhibits are focused on the future, with a return to the Moon (as a stopping-off point) and Mars as near-term goals. NASA acknowledges their partnership with commercial companies often. I think I see a strong Public Relations effort there, though actually the whole Visitor Center is a PR effort writ large.
Cyndi and I visited the KSC in 2012 with our friend Cliff Broughton. That video is here (of course): youtube.com/watch?v=3SlmTeR19Us
This year (2021) we went back with our friends Jeff and Bobbie Wittich. Jeff is dying of brain cancer (sucks), with maybe a couple of years to live. His mobility is already limited by the cancer and the therapy that's prolonging his life. We asked him if there were some places he'd like to see while he had time, and the KCS was at the top of his list.
So we all flew down to Orlando and drove over to the Cape for a two day visit. We expected them to be short days because Jeff doesn't have a lot of stamina. We maximized his energy reserve by getting a wheelchair. At home, he doesn't use one, but is beginning to use a 'rollator' for stability while walking. And he surprised us - and probably himself - by hanging in there from opening to closing both days, not to mention the travel days before and after, getting through the airport (security was interesting). I visited them the day after we returned, and he was doing well - no heavy price for all that activity.
The KCS has seen some changes since our 2012 visit. This trip came while much of the country was 'reopening' from Covid-19 restrictions. Being a Federal facility, the KCS was still mandating masks indoors and in lines outside. Most of the facilities were open except the bus tours to the Vehicle Assembly Building and launch pads (you can see those in our 2012 video).
In 2012, we saw the Space Shuttle Atlantis in the VAB, getting ready to be installed in a new building then under constructions. This year, that building was complete, and the Atlantis display and much more was way more than I expected. it was awesome. There were a couple new rockets in the Rocket Garden, and I think the Mars building was new.
The busses were running to the Apollo/Saturn V center. That big building is located a few miles from the main Visitor Center. You'll see how wheelchair patients are accommodated on the bus. In 2012, I was the one in a wheelchair because a hernia limited my ability to walk long distances, but I was able to get on and off the bus on my own.
The Apollo/Saturn V Center is an homage to NASA's history. Much of the rest of the Visitor Center exhibits are focused on the future, with a return to the Moon (as a stopping-off point) and Mars as near-term goals. NASA acknowledges their partnership with commercial companies often. I think I see a strong Public Relations effort there, though actually the whole Visitor Center is a PR effort writ large.
