QCT Miami Daily Black Heritage Toursm February Travel Article
By Jay Whipple
Trend Magazine Online™
To The Moon Alice, To The Mooncont'd.!
Trend Magazine Online™
To The Moon Alice, To The Mooncont'd.!
Welcome
to Part Deux (II) of my wonderful and educational trip to the Kennedy
Space Center in Titusville, Florida. In the distance I could
see this huge rocket that stood out like a sore thumb which piqued my interest.
It is part of what turned out to be my favorite attraction on site and I will
fill you in on why shortly. In the foreground I could not help but to capture
these young children happily playing around this rotating globe that listed the
constellations of our world. I could not help but to think that perhaps one day
they will get to see some of those stars up close as space travel will soon be
available to common people like myself.
On
my way over to the big rocket boosters I made another stop through another gift
shop just to do some window shopping. This one was two levels and had
everything from A to Z to include wearable items like a Classic NASA
Meatball Hoodie that sold for a mere $34.99. I say that in
comparison to what they charge at sports shops during professional games like Superbowl
LIV in Miami Gardens, Florida in which I got a chance to work
in retail all that day. Those jackets were on average $150 or more, and
fans were snatching them up like they were going out of style!
Next
up was a sad sight for me as I witnessed one of the shuttle buses returning
from the last run to the launching area, mentioned in Part I, that I missed.
According to my souvenir map I counted nine launch pads; there is also a Cape
Canaveral Lighthouse, Air Force Space and Missile Museum, Apollo/Saturn
V Center situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River.
I have watched many launches from this area since my childhood but did not
realize that there were so many different places to launch. I would see
spectators in their lawn chairs and thus assumed that they were in a nearby
neighborhood. I will make it a point on my next visit, hopefully sooner than
later, to hop this shuttle bus and hopefully by then the bus tours will once
again be in operation.
Next
up was a sad sight for me as I witnessed one of the shuttle buses returning
from the last run to the launching area, mentioned in Part I, that I missed.
According to my souvenir map I counted nine launch pads; there is also a Cape
Canaveral Lighthouse, Air Force Space and Missile Museum, Apollo/Saturn
V Center situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River.
I have watched many launches from this area since my childhood but did not
realize that there were so many different places to launch. I would see
spectators in their lawn chairs and thus assumed that they were in a nearby
neighborhood. I will make it a point on my next visit, hopefully sooner than
later, to hop this shuttle bus and hopefully by then the bus tours will once
again be in operation.
It
was now time for me to enter the most impressive attraction on site which is
the Space Shuttle Atlantis building that contains more than 60
exhibits and simulators that document the iconic ship?s 126 million
miles of space travel and typically takes 1 ? hours to complete. The
shuttle was the fourth to fly into space completing 33 missions that
included secret ones for the U.S. military, it ferried astronauts to and
from space stations and launched several probes. It is named after a ship that
was once operated for the Massachusetts Wood Hole Oceanographic Institute
(1930 ? 1966) and was in service from October 3-7, 1985 (STS-51)
to July 8-21, 2011 (STS-135; 25 years). 
I
found this attraction so fascinating because I was in proximity to equipment
that flew into outer space in my lifetime. I vividly recall seeing the Atlantis
land and then piggyback ride on the top of a Boeing 747 aircraft on many
occasions. And here I stand over 20 years later staring right at it
within arm?s length. My instinct was telling me to reach out and touch it, but
my gut said no because if you break something you may end up sweeping the
floors here for the rest of your life to cover the damages. As such, I resolved
to relishing the experience of seeing this fascinating space vehicle up close
and personal.
I
found this attraction so fascinating because I was in proximity to equipment
that flew into outer space in my lifetime. I vividly recall seeing the Atlantis
land and then piggyback ride on the top of a Boeing 747 aircraft on many
occasions. And here I stand over 20 years later staring right at it
within arm?s length. My instinct was telling me to reach out and touch it, but
my gut said no because if you break something you may end up sweeping the
floors here for the rest of your life to cover the damages. As such, I resolved
to relishing the experience of seeing this fascinating space vehicle up close
and personal.
And
then I had to check out the RS-25 engine which was a spectacle in and of
itself as the three main ports were also within arm?s reach. As a former
engineer I am always fascinated in what makes a machine actual work? These
gizmos were developed in the 1970?s and at that time were our planet?s
most sophisticated reusable rocket engines. They were in operation for just 8
minutes and 40 seconds for each flight and had a combined output of 37
million HP (Horsepower) which is equal to Torque x RPM
(Revolutions per Minute)/5,252 ? got it? To put it into laymen terms its
equivalent to the output of 13 Hoover Dams. 
Next
up was some of the clothing and electronic communications equipment used on the
shuttle?s missions. Most folks would just breeze by these exhibits, but I found
if fascinating that the astronauts wore clothes in outer space. Smile! I
did some extra research and learned that the astronauts would bring enough
clothing to change everyday since they do not have laundry service or
facilities in outer space. Something most of us would have never thought about
or take for granted here on earth. One of the challenges of getting electronic
devices to work in outer space is keeping them from over heating because there
is no air way up there. The solution is using metal bonded to the circuit to
absorb the heat which is known as conductive cooling. Now you know not to bring
your typical store-bought devices from Wal-Mart or Amazon on your
first trip!
Next
up was some of the clothing and electronic communications equipment used on the
shuttle?s missions. Most folks would just breeze by these exhibits, but I found
if fascinating that the astronauts wore clothes in outer space. Smile! I
did some extra research and learned that the astronauts would bring enough
clothing to change everyday since they do not have laundry service or
facilities in outer space. Something most of us would have never thought about
or take for granted here on earth. One of the challenges of getting electronic
devices to work in outer space is keeping them from over heating because there
is no air way up there. The solution is using metal bonded to the circuit to
absorb the heat which is known as conductive cooling. Now you know not to bring
your typical store-bought devices from Wal-Mart or Amazon on your
first trip!
The
next adventure featured interactive mission control gizmos that give you a
novice idea of what it must be like operating a spaceship in outer space. There
are lots of buttons, controls, and indicator lights that control several
circuits onboard the ship. I can only imagine the amount of training that goes
into knowing which button to push when this or that happens and what to do if
it did not happen? After all, you are in deep space and the wrong sequence of
button pushing may jettison you into a whole different galaxy. Of course, they
more than likely had indicators that would warn you before that phenomenon
occurs just like on Star Trek when Scotty would warn Captain Kirk
that he did not have adequate power to reach warp speed. 
It
was now my turn to play with the buttons and controls and indicator lights
after patiently waiting for other guests to finish their explorations. I
actually ended up spending the bulk of my time looking for the perfect selfie
to capture myself and a few of the controls in the background. Folks that are
reading this article say in ten years or so (2032) may wonder why I am wearing
a facemask in the shot. Well, there is currently a highly communicable disease
known as COVID-19 (Coronavirus) that can be deadly if you have a
compromised immune system and/or elderly. It began in late 2019 and
literally shut the entire world down in late March of 2020 and to
date (02/23/2022) there have been 5.91 million related deaths with the United
States leading the way with 939 thousand.
It
was now my turn to play with the buttons and controls and indicator lights
after patiently waiting for other guests to finish their explorations. I
actually ended up spending the bulk of my time looking for the perfect selfie
to capture myself and a few of the controls in the background. Folks that are
reading this article say in ten years or so (2032) may wonder why I am wearing
a facemask in the shot. Well, there is currently a highly communicable disease
known as COVID-19 (Coronavirus) that can be deadly if you have a
compromised immune system and/or elderly. It began in late 2019 and
literally shut the entire world down in late March of 2020 and to
date (02/23/2022) there have been 5.91 million related deaths with the United
States leading the way with 939 thousand.
Next
up was what looked like a giant metallic cannon from a distance but turned out
to be one of the early telescopes that have been deployed into outer space.
These gizmos today have brought truth to the saying that ?Big brother is
watching you!? In fact, I always assume that I am being watched and tracked
each time that I venture outside and, in some cases, while inside my home. What
is the fascination with watching other people all the time? You would think
that that would be as boring as watching paint dry or sorting all of the socks
in the world, but some people?s job is to watch our every move. I am being a
bit hypocritical as I now have security cameras installed around my home and
you would not believe what I have captured featuring my neighbors, stray cats,
and even lizards. 
I
had now worked my way back to the most impressive item in the building which
again is the shuttle itself. Before being stripped down, this bad boy weighed
over 151,315 pounds (nearly 76 Tons), is 122 feet long, 56
feet tall, and has a wingspan of 78 feet. My words and stats alone
cannot describe just how fascinating this ship looks in person. Part of this
exhibit is interactive, but I was pressed for time and did not get a chance to
experience the touch screen display which details just how the pilot steered
the ship in outer space. They also have a display of the PSSC2 which was
the last tiny satellite deployed by any shuttle.
I
had now worked my way back to the most impressive item in the building which
again is the shuttle itself. Before being stripped down, this bad boy weighed
over 151,315 pounds (nearly 76 Tons), is 122 feet long, 56
feet tall, and has a wingspan of 78 feet. My words and stats alone
cannot describe just how fascinating this ship looks in person. Part of this
exhibit is interactive, but I was pressed for time and did not get a chance to
experience the touch screen display which details just how the pilot steered
the ship in outer space. They also have a display of the PSSC2 which was
the last tiny satellite deployed by any shuttle.
Up
next was this really cool looking attraction that appeared to be designed for
little ones, but I cannot say for sure because it was close to the sites
closing time of 5 PM and the gizmo was shut down. It was a slide that
extended from the second to the first floor and consisted of cylindrical
tubing. They ask guests to remove their shoes because ?Astronauts Don?t Wear
Shoes in Space;? which is something that I have seen on TV but did
not pay any attention to until reading the sign. I decided to investigate why
and have learned that the reason shoes are not required inside the shuttle is
simply because they do not have to walk on the ground. Duh! 
As
I am writing this article and reflecting on my wonderful experience at the Kennedy
Space Center, I am still not sure I would have joined in the fun as the
thought of sliding down to the first floor seems really appealing to me especially
since it is made of plastic as opposed to the metal ones that I grew up with in
the 1960?s/early 1970?s. Those prehistoric slides were fun until
your skin contacted the metal surface and you got to experience what it?s like
to take a bath with a fresh flesh wound known as a raspberry. In hindsight I
think I would have just watched as opposed to having that experience again as
an older adult.
As
I am writing this article and reflecting on my wonderful experience at the Kennedy
Space Center, I am still not sure I would have joined in the fun as the
thought of sliding down to the first floor seems really appealing to me especially
since it is made of plastic as opposed to the metal ones that I grew up with in
the 1960?s/early 1970?s. Those prehistoric slides were fun until
your skin contacted the metal surface and you got to experience what it?s like
to take a bath with a fresh flesh wound known as a raspberry. In hindsight I
think I would have just watched as opposed to having that experience again as
an older adult.
Next
up was the most touching exhibit in the building known as Fallen Friends and
Heroes that pays tribute to those astronauts and non-astronauts who have
lost their lives in the pursuit of space exploration aboard the STS-51L
Space Shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986, and STS-107
Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003. I distinctively
remember watching live on television the Challenger incident where I and
millions of others stared at our sets in disbelief when it exploded just two
minutes after launching not too far from this very building. Looking back, it
seems as though I was watching a movie and that the crew was going to reappear
afterwards. The wall on each side of the hallway displays personal effects from
each of the seven-person crew. 
One
of the non-astronaut crew members on the Challenger was Christa McAuliffe
a teacher who won out over 11,000 others for the Teacher In Space
Project. She and mission specialist Judith Resnik were the first two
women to die on a space mission. Also aboard was Dr. Ronald E. McNair
who became the second Black astronaut to reach space in 1984 behind
Guion "Guy" Bluford who did it on August 30, 1983. McNair
graduated magna cum laude in 1971 from North Carolina A &
T University in Greensboro with a Bachelor of Science degree in
physics. He was also a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
One
of the non-astronaut crew members on the Challenger was Christa McAuliffe
a teacher who won out over 11,000 others for the Teacher In Space
Project. She and mission specialist Judith Resnik were the first two
women to die on a space mission. Also aboard was Dr. Ronald E. McNair
who became the second Black astronaut to reach space in 1984 behind
Guion "Guy" Bluford who did it on August 30, 1983. McNair
graduated magna cum laude in 1971 from North Carolina A &
T University in Greensboro with a Bachelor of Science degree in
physics. He was also a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
I
was nearing the end of my visit to the Space Center and as typical I had
to grab at least one souvenir. I found the perfect item located near the exit and
the cost came in at $9.49 under my $10 budget. I have not seen
one of these penny stamping machines in a while and could not resist the
temptation to get one as a memento of my visit to the center. I keep it in my
wallet because I cannot remember just where all the others are that I have purchased
over the decades of my travels. I am an ardent fan of nostalgia and really
appreciate it when I come across one of these neat relics from the past. 
I
departed the center at about 5:25 PM and really appreciate the staff
rushing me out before or right at their 5 PM closing time which gave me
an opportunity to take it more exhibits and write about them for your reading
pleasure and possible future visit. All and all it was a fantastic and
memorable visit and the exhibits were well presented and intriguing especially
the Atlantis Space Shuttle. The only thing that I found annoying was
this pesky security guard who kept bothering me when I was in my vehicle
looking over my notes before I departed.
On my way out I had to snap some pics
of the Blue Origin facility that is owned by Amazon´s Jeff Bezos
who is leasing the land from NASA and plans to build 322-foot New
Glenn rockets that will launch around late 2022. He reminds us that
we paid for this! The
Kennedy Space Center is located at Space Commerce Way, Merritt
Island, FL. 32953. Their telephone number is 1-855-433-4210
and website is https://kennedyspacecenter.com/.
Tell them that Trend Magazine Onlinetm
I
departed the center at about 5:25 PM and really appreciate the staff
rushing me out before or right at their 5 PM closing time which gave me
an opportunity to take it more exhibits and write about them for your reading
pleasure and possible future visit. All and all it was a fantastic and
memorable visit and the exhibits were well presented and intriguing especially
the Atlantis Space Shuttle. The only thing that I found annoying was
this pesky security guard who kept bothering me when I was in my vehicle
looking over my notes before I departed.
On my way out I had to snap some pics
of the Blue Origin facility that is owned by Amazon´s Jeff Bezos
who is leasing the land from NASA and plans to build 322-foot New
Glenn rockets that will launch around late 2022. He reminds us that
we paid for this! The
Kennedy Space Center is located at Space Commerce Way, Merritt
Island, FL. 32953. Their telephone number is 1-855-433-4210
and website is https://kennedyspacecenter.com/.
Tell them that Trend Magazine Onlinetm
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