vol. 14. Artemis II.

With the NASA Artemis II Wet Dress 1 (WD1) on the horizon and the beginning of the [original] launch window, I figured it might be a good time to visit Florida. The freezing cold Virginia winter provided an extra incentive, too. I put out a message to my fellow NASA ASCAN Interviewees, and we quickly patched together travel plans. Suitcases packed- off to FLORIDA!

NASA Meatball at KSC

WD1 ran into a few issues, which pushed back the Artemis II launch date a few times, and ended up pushing it beyond my time in Florida. Unfortunate for our viewing opportunities, but that meant there were tons of excited space fans in Florida. It also meant SLS (Space Launch System with Orion Capsule) would still be on the launch pad. 

Yay! Let the fun begin.

Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)

The visitor complex at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) falls in line with the vibe of Orlando. Lots of exhibits and activities- and LAUNCHES! Check out the latest exhibits and launch schedule. Personally, I recommend (all included with admission) the Mars exhibit, Meet an Astronaut, the Astronaut Hall of Fame, several astronaut memorials throughout the property, and the Space Shuttle Atlantis (pretty cool that I've sailed aboard the R/V Atlantis). After viewing the Atlantis, please take a minute to walk through the Challenger and Columbia memorials.

Mars2020 "Perseverance" with Skycrane
(Ingenuity hanging in the background)

Space Shuttle Atlantis

Astronaut Hall of Fame

Memorials for Space Shuttle Challenger (L) and Space Shuttle Columbia (R)

Now, for the bus tour. It's included in your admission and takes you to see the renovated Gantry at LC-39, the Saturn V, and a vault of incredible space memorabilia and lunar samples. We had the opportunity to go on the equivalent of an "Explore Tour", which takes you closer to some of the launch pads- including SLS! As of writing, SLS is tucked back in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for troubleshooting, but it will eventually roll back to the pad. We had the opportunity to view SLS... on the pad... surreal.

Tip: If you are thinking of visiting KSC once SLS is rolled back out, the Explore Tour is ~$30 extra. HIGHLY recommend if you want to get close to SLS, but it sells out fast. You've been warned!

Here are a few highlights from the tour:

Artemis II (SLS/ Orion) on Launch Pad 39B 

with the cobble Crawler tracks

View of Crew-12 from the Gantry at Launch Pad 39

Artemis II (SLS/ Orion) on Launch Pad 39B from the Press viewing 

area (look closely to see resident turtles under sign)

Artemis II (SLS/ Orion) on Launch Pad 39B

Artemis II (SLS/ Orion) on Launch Pad 39B

Iterations of space suits in the Saturn V center "vault"

And don't forget the gift shops! Every patch, pin, et al. you could imagine. 

Mars rover merchandise at the KSC gift shop

-Bonus personal adventures-

Greetings from Florida!

The "Disney Fix"

While you're in the area, if you want to get a feel for Disney- without paying the crazy high prices- go check out Disney Springs. It's a large outdoor mall on Disney property with free parking garages, family entertainment, tons of restaurants, Disney merchandise, and it's completely free to enter! 

Fun Fact: My favorite Disney character is a little purple dragon from Epot, Figment. Most people haven't heard of this sweet dragon because it's meant to be a "Figment of your Imagination".

Bonus tip: Head over to the waterfront by the Edison restaurant around 9:00pm every night to catch the Epot fireworks!

If you need some extra persuasion to make the drive from Kennedy to Orlando, plan a stop at East End Market (soooo many cute shops!) and grab one of these < E P I C > cookies from the local bakery, Gideon's Bakeshop. See picture below... caution- you will drool.. hand under mouth before viewing... again, you've been warned. There's also a Gideon's Bakeshop at Disney Springs, but the wait could rival a peak crowd in a Magic Kingdom line.

Gideon's Bakehouse cookies are incredible

Back to Nature

Another absolute "must do" is visiting the wildlife reserves adjacent to KSC, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (free to enter!) and Canaveral National Seashore (NPS- included with your annual pass). If you had to choose one = Canaveral for the ocean -or- Merritt for a quick trip and some incredibly quiet lagoons. Plus, there's a wonderful local coffee roaster, Pier 13 Coffee, in the adjacent town of Titusville, FL. 

Up early? Jot down to Kelly Slater Land (aka- Cocoa Beach, "surfing town") for a breakfast burrito at Juice n' Java Cafe. For fun, if you happen to be heading south to Melbourne Beach, there's a lovely local market (Melbourne Beach Market) with one of the BEST international wine selections I've ever seen! 🍷

As you enter the wildlife reserves, it's crystal clear why it's listed as one of the top birding spots in the U.S. I saw kingfishers, storks, brown and Atlantic pelicans, ospreys galore, white egrets, and 1,308,409.5 seabirds (don't ask about the 0.5 one). Saw my first wild boars... literally thought they were black bears! Insanely tall and massive, and you can see their impressive "tilling" skills along the roadside soil throughout the parks. 

Gators? Yep. 

ARMADILLOS? YES YES YES!!! (They are sooo stinkin' cute- bopping around on their lil' toes).

See sign. Thankfully this was NOT an issue

Lagoon at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 

Atlantic oceanfront at Canaveral National Seashore

In the end, please don't forget to enjoy the sunsets. Florida did not disappoint. Hope some of you get the opportunity to watch Artemis II launch in-person. The gators might not like the tickles on their backs, but I assure you, "feeling" this launch will be worth every penny and vacation day. 

MAKE THE MEMORIES 💙

For my next adventure... perhaps something a little colder. Add some snow. And mountains. And a range... ⚪⚪⚪⭕⚪ Stay tuned!

-S.

⭐