New Rocket Launches Bring Back the Spark of the Moon Missions to NASA

a space shuttle launching

As rocket launches continue to become more frequent when looking east from Orlando, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex keeps making it fun to dream of life as an astronaut

 

Some of us who have lived in Central Florida since the 1980s remember the joy of stopping everything in your life—specifically work and school—to go outside and watch the tiny bright flame of a Space Shuttle soaring up into the heavens. Without question, nothing compares to the exhilaration of seeing a man-made spacecraft rise over the tree line on its way to the International Space Station. But after the Space Shuttle program ended several years, we were left with the memory of those epic launches. And that’s why everyone is excited about SpaceX, Blue Origin and other private space industry companies as they set sights once again on the Moon, Mars and beyond.

 

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex—formerly known as Spaceport USA—has been welcoming tourists since the 1980s, when NASA acknowledged the need for public support for the U.S. Space Program. Back then, it was NASA’s government-backed operation that wanted to educate the people of America and the rest of the world about the opportunity and benefits of having a presence in space. This all worked out great as the Space Shuttle program was active, but soon after the program was over the space activity slowed down to a trickle—that is until innovation shifted from the government to a new wave of space travel initiatives by the likes of entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

 

Central Florida has been a witness to this amazing revival of the space program and the excitement it brings to tourists who are lucky enough to witness a rocket launch. And so, this resurgence in space flights is now paving the way for more visitors to make time to drive east and visit the Kennedy Space Center—regardless of whether there is a launch or not—to connect to both the history and future of space exploration.

 

Currently, the Kennedy Space Center features an amazing display of spacecraft that goes back to the Mercury and Gemini missions, as well as the Apollo lunar missions and the Space Shuttle program. However, one of its most impressive displays is that of the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which has been given a place of honor as an attraction of its own. Furthermore, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has a series of IMAX movies on display every single day, along with walkthrough exhibits where aspiring astronauts of all ages can experience in an interactive environment proper of any world-class theme park.

 

Everyone at Vista Cay Resort by Millenium is super excited about the opportunity to see more launches and the new spark that will light up our Central Florida skies with our upcoming return to the Moon. And of course, we can’t wait until the day comes when we see Mars missions begin paving the way for the exploration of the rest of our Solar System. As Astronaut Buzz Aldrin once said: “Regardless of how you believe the universe was created, it is there waiting for humans to explore.” So, without question, it is a very exciting time to be in Central Florida and we hope you can catch an upcoming launch by visiting the Kennedy Space Center launch schedule by following this link.