The first time I visited Kennedy Space Center in Florida was back in 1987. Since then the world has changed a lot, at least when it comes to politics and technology. The cold war space race is a thing of the past, and you should think we have moved further out in space as well. But to many people’s frustration we are still stuck in low earth orbit.

US, Florida. US, Florida. John F. Kennedy Space Center. F-1 engines on a Saturn V at the Apollo/Saturn V Center in 2013. Stitched panorama. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
John F. Kennedy Space Center. F-1 engines on a Saturn V at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, 2013. Stitched panorama using 6 images. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

Things are about to change though, NASA is busy building the new Orion spacecraft as well as a new launch system capable of reaching further
. SpaceX is sending their Dragon to the ISS, with more private companies to follow. Robotic probes are investigating Mars and the outer planets and much more. Some private enterprises are even talking about mining asteroids and sending people on a 500+ day mission to Mars

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. It is indeed an exciting time ahead for space nerds.

US, Florida. John F. Kennedy Space Center. Apollo Lunar Module, Apollo/Saturn V Center. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
Apollo Lunar Module at the impressive Apollo/Saturn V Center, 2013. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

In that respect a ticket to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex may not be the best investment in order to learn about the future of the space industry, as it’s main attractions is the Apollo and pre-Apollo hardware. But to learn about the future you must know the past.

I don’t remember many details from my visit in 1987, so I dug up some images from that time to see what had changed. Below I have listed a few.

F-1 engines on a Saturn V
F-1 engines on a Saturn V in 1987, at the at the old Saturn V location just south of the VAB.

First of all the huge Saturn V now have been moved inside the impressive Apollo/Saturn V center, opened in 1996. It’s old location was just south of the Vehicle Assembly Building. Other Apollo memoria in the center includes the Apollo 14 command module, an unused Apollo command/service module and an unused Lunar Module.

US, Florida. John F. Kennedy Space Center. Stitched panorama, view from Observation Gantry. Crawlerway and Launch Pad 39B on the left and 39A on the right. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
Stitched panorama, view from Observation Gantry, 2013

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. Crawlerway and Launch Pad 39B on the left and 39A on the right. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

Another highlight of the recent visit was the Observation platform, from where the visitors can have an unobstructed view of most of the launch facilities. I don’t recall that as a part of the tour in 1987.

US, Florida. John F. Kennedy Space Center. Rocket Garden at the Visitor Complex. From left: Mercury-Redstone, Saturn IB (in background), Juno I, Mercury-Atlas, Thor-Delta,Juno II, and Atlas-Agena. Stitched panorama. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
US, Florida. John F. Kennedy Space Center. Rocket Garden at the Visitor Complex. From left: Mercury-Redstone, Saturn IB (in background), Juno I, Mercury-Atlas, Thor-Delta,Juno II, and Atlas-Agena. Stitched panorama. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)

The Visitor Center Complex has of course been modernized since 1987, but the Rocket Garden looks much the same as it did back then. What has changed more is the way people dress…

Rocket Garden at the Visitor Complex
Rocket Garden at the Visitor Complex in 1987. From left: Atlas-Agena, Thor-Delta,Juno I, Titan II GLV AND Juno II.

The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, was used to assemble launch vehicles from 1968-2011. The VAB is still the largest buildings in the world by volume. The VAB will in the future be used to prepare commercial launch vehicles and for NASA’s new Space Launch System.

US, Florida. John F. Kennedy Space Center. Vehicle Assembly Building. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
Vehicle Assembly Building as it appears in 2013. (Photo Bjorn Grotting)
Vehicle Assembly Building
Vehicle Assembly Building in 1987. Same flag but different symbol.

The VAB doesn’t seem to have changed a lot, there used to be a different symbol though were the NASA logo is placed today.

Currently under construction at the Visitor Complex is the Space Shuttle Atlantis display, unfortunately I missed that as it opens later this year.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is of course not only a museum, but also features exhibits and displays, two IMAX theaters, bus tours of the spaceport, and the Shuttle Launch Experience, which simulates a ride into space with a space shuttle. The one day I had available was not nearly enough, as there was still things I didn’t have time to see or try out.

Recommended!

More images from my visit here.

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Bjørn Grøtting

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Photographer based in Norway. See a collection of my best photos in the portfolio. Licensing of images is done through Photoshelter or alamy.
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