NASA Tours?

[Nathan]

Hi, I'm going to be in Florida this upcoming week. Are there any kind free tours or anything for FIRST members/potential employees?

Thanks,
Nathan

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Hi, I'm going to be in Florida this upcoming week. Are there any kind free tours or anything for FIRST members/potential employees?

Thanks,
Nathan

There is a standard visitor's tour at KSC. I'm sure you can find information about it on their website.

I went in 2002 while we were in Orlando for nationals, and it was pretty cool.

[notaPINKtruck]

I suggest you PM Gabe Salas (CrazyBear) or Ben from 233. Gabe works for CampKSC and Ben for the visitors center (KSC is where we build). I've sent an email to Gabe about this thread, I'm sure he'll get back to you soon.

KSC has a whole visitor's center complex and a ladder of tours (some more expensive, of course) that get you around to see interesting sights around the center. You can expect to be able to take a bus tour of the launch complexes and historic sites (like the Block House) around the center.

The complex itself has a few museums, an IMAX theater, a rocket garden, the Saturn V complex (a building/museum with a fully-assembled Saturn V laid out inside), and the Astronaut Memorial Museum, and a daily "Meet the Astronaut" event. I also believe they just opened up a new large-scale space shuttle simulator.

I've been there too many times to count, but when friends/relative visit they always talk about how cool KSC was. If you're around at the right time there might even be a launch (we do more than just the space shuttle).

[K. Sehgal]

I live in Orlando . They don't give anything away . The last time I was in the Kennedy Space Centre was in 2000 and it was very expensive just like all the other attractions in Orlando and Flordia.

So I wound'nt get your hopes ups about getting anything for free .

[David Brinza]

It's been a few years since I took a public tour at KSC. Basically, there's a narrated bus tour that drives right out to the Shuttle launch pads, over to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), a tour of the Int'l Space Station Processing Facility (there's a viewing gallery where you can see ISS flight hardware being prepared for launch) and a maybe a few other NASA buildings. The tour was a couple of hours long with some decent photo opportunities. I can't remember how much it cost, but I thought it wasn't outrageously expensive. The tours are conducted by a contracted tour operator, not NASA/KSC personnel.

[Nathan]

Yeah it says on the website the tour's $80 dollars I thought since NASA was a sponsor and all they might have some kind of deal for FIRST students.

[David Brinza]

Yes, it's more expensive than when I went there 6-7 years ago. According to the KSC Ticket Store website: $59 for adults for the "NASA Up Close" tour. But it is a 2+ hour tour and unless you plan to go there again in the next three years, your last chance to see Space Station hardware while still on the ground. If you're there with a group of 15 or more, there might be some special pricing...

[notaPINKtruck]

NASA actually isn't really affiliated with the visitor complex except in name. It was bought by Delaware North quite a few years ago and completely commercialized.