Agents booking clients on Florida trips this summer should advise them to make ‘space’ in their itinerary for a trip to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which is preparing for a packed season of out-of-this-world experiences.
There are 80 scheduled rocket launches planned for this year, while firm favourite attraction Space Shuttle Atlantis celebrates its 10th anniversary; Gateway, which opened in June 2022, operates its first full-year and new attraction All Systems Are Go opens to the public.
Here’s a countdown of what’s happening at Kennedy Space Center this year – and don’t forget to book tickets for your clients through trade-friendly suppliers such as Do Something Different and Attraction World.
3… 2…1… lift-off…
Gateway – The Deep Space Launch Complex
Launch into the Future of Spaceflight at Gateway – The Deep Space Launch Complex. This attraction opened in June 2022 and the bold new attraction about the future of collaborative space exploration includes a showcase of NASA and commercial spaceflight hardware with immersive displays as well as a ‘journey’ through space.
Visitors can view actual space-flown artifacts and full-scale models, including the Orion Crew Vehicle from EFT-1 Mission, Boeing CST-100 Starliner Crew Vehicle, SpaceX Falcon 9 booster and NASA Space Launch System, among others.
Introducing the STEAM Team
Younger space enthusiasts will be educated and entertained by the new STEAM Team at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Created to give guests the chance to learn more about science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics through fun experiments, the team will be featured in three scheduled shows daily as well as with carts throughout the visitor complex.
The team’s main performance, It’s a Matter of Fact, takes place inside the Universe Theater three times a day and is included with admission. During the lively show, guests will learn what matter is in three states – solid, liquid and gas – and see experiments using liquid nitrogen through engaging performances. In between shows, the team can be found throughout the visitor complex.
All Systems Are Go
All Systems Are Go – a brand-new, original, live, immersive educational entertainment experience – takes place in the transformed Universe Theater, featuring beloved Peanuts characters.
The 20-minute experience, included with admission and offered daily, features four- and five-feet-tall Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie and Sally Brown, Linus, Lucy, Franklin and Schroeder characters operated by puppeteers as they narrate the iconic history of NASA, the Artemis missions and future plans in an educational and enlightening way.
Rocket launches
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is gearing up for more than 80 forecast for 2023. With so many launches scheduled, chances are excellent that a trip to the visitor complex could coincide with the bucket-list experience of seeing and feeling a rocket lift off. When possible, special viewing packages that include admission, catered meals, live commentary from a space expert and commemorative gifts will be offered.
Space Shuttle Atlantis’ 10th anniversary
June 29, 2023 will mark the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, home to the iconic orbiter that flew 33 missions.
The Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction takes guests on a journey that mirrors the orbiter’s time in space and return to Earth.
Visitors can view the space-flown shuttle on the top floor, suspended in space. Also featured are more than 60 interactive and immersive exhibits, including the Shuttle Launch Experience and Forever Remembered, which pays homage to the 14 crew members of Challenger and Columbia.
Find out more here