jpulliam@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jacqueline Pulliam) (07/25/90)
From: jpulliam@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jacqueline Pulliam) I'm not sure if this belongs in sci.military, but I'm sure Bill will wipe it out if it doesn't. 8-) Does anyone know if NASA offers tours of Cape Canaveral, and if so what the times/durations/etc. are? I'll be in the area the 17th of August (a Friday). Any help, including your opinion of the tour and/or a phone number, would be appreciated. Also, if they do offer tours, should one get an advance reservation? Please e-mail responses. Thanks!
shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) (07/27/90)
From: Mary Shafer <shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov>
Yes, you can tour KSC. Go to the Visitors' Center as soon as you get
there and get your tickets. The tour, like the Visitor's Center, is
run by a contractor (PanAm? that's who it was a few years ago).
The tour, which is a (live) narrated bus trip, with photo
opportunities, is very popular. I don't know how much it costs, but
it's not outrageous. The Visitors' Center has a big gift shop and
admission is free.
If a member of your party is handicapped and cannot ride on the bus,
they will detail a bus driver to drive your car and you'll have your
own tour. (My husband needed this service and it worked very nicely.)
At JSC, the tour consists of a self-paced, tape-narrated walk (i.e.
they give you a cassette and player and you walk all around the
Center. Watch out for the restricted areas; they enforce these
zealously. I think you get the tapes at the Visitors' Center, which
is in the Main Cafeteria. I don't know about a charge, but there
may be a reasonable one.
At Ames-Dryden, there's a guided tour twice a federal work day. Free.
Includes an explanatory video and hangar tour. Planes include the
SR-71, B-52, F-18, F-15, and assorted others, depending on the flight
schedule.
--
Mary Shafer shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer
NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
Of course I don't speak for NASA
"A MiG at your six is better than no MiG at all"--Unknown US fighter pilotmilitary@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) (07/28/90)
From: cs.rochester.edu!moscom!jaw (Jim Watson) In article <1990Jul25.004521.6466@cbnews.att.com> you write: > > >From: jpulliam@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jacqueline Pulliam) > >Does anyone know if NASA offers tours of Cape Canaveral, and if so >what the times/durations/etc. are? I'll be in the area the 17th of We went to Cocoa Bech for our honeymoon in May and took the official NASA tour offered by some private company (can't think of the name off hand). It was interesting. Good points and bad points (as I think of them) to follow: Go in the morning, before 10:00. It gets crowded fast. We arrived soon after it opened (9:00?), waited only 15 min or so in the ticket line and walked right on to the bus. I don't remember the price, so I guess it wasn't too outrageous. You will see some very good exhibits. They have a complete lunar lander that was used for training, numerous rockets, a research plane of some sort, a Saturn V (this thing is ENORMOUS !!!), etc. Mission status permitting they will take you to an observation area to look at the shuttle . . . from 3 MILES away. Bring the telephoto lens ! :-} Even from there with a cheap 35 mm a managed a picture that actually looks like the tank and boosters. We were 'behind' the thing and the shuttle itself was in some sort of protective shelter anyways :-{ Our driver enjoyed giving us interesting trivia before the taped narrative could, which was both amusing and annoying. In all fairness though, he added a little like the Vehicle assembly buiding is the second largest enclosed structure in the world (it IS huge). Bring lots of film and, if you want souvenirs, lots of money. I enjoyed it and my wife, who has a mild interest in space exploration, also had a good time. Have fun. If you need more info when you get there, just ask anyone - I'm serious - EVERYBODY knew something about it. This is from memory, so forgive me if I failed to mention something. Remember that NASA is a big name in Florida and this tour isn't the only space related activity. If you are staying in a hotel, they will have an unlimited supply of pamphlets for you browsing pleasure. Have a good time. Jim Watson