FAC T L E T
from the main floor just to the right of the
door you exited the theater from, and again
from the lower level. On the lower level you’ll
find another theater showing highlights of
Hubble from its launch in 1990, through its repair missions, and of course showcasing some
of the incredible images the telescope has
provided to us all.
Also on the lower level you’ll find high fidelity replicas of an International Space Station
module, a space toilet, tires from Atlantis
that actually were used in the final landing of
STS-135, and much more. There’s also the actual Beanie Cap from launch pad 39-B. The
Beanie Cap, also known as the External Tank
(ET) Gaseous Oxygen Vent Arm was used to
keep oxygen venting from the External tank
from condensing water vapor surrounding
that area into water and possibly forming ice
Space Shuttle Atlantis is
named for a sailing ship
that operated out of the
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institute in Massachusetts.
which could damage the orbiter. The center
has actually made an interactive game below the beanie cap, check it out.
Don’t forget to check out the Shuttle
Launch Experience where you can find out
what it feels, looks, and sounds like to launch
aboard a space shuttle!
Also near the entrance to the gift shop
you’ll find more simulators where you can
manipulate the robotic CanadaArm to perform specified tasks, or land the orbiter on
the Shuttle Landing Facility.
In all the facility contains over 60 interactive experiences, numerous static displays,
and of course Atlantis which you can see
from almost any angle you can think of. From
casual tourists right up to true space geeks,
everyone can find plenty to do and see at
the Atlantis exhibit.
There are many more things to see and
experience at the Kennedy Space Center, I
only touched on some of the more prominent
displays and experiences from my visits, be
sure to allow yourself plenty of time to take in
all the center has to offer and to see just a bit
of what NASA has accomplished so far, and
a peek at what is yet to come.
All photos taken by Lloyd Campbell.
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Atlantis is displayed at a 43.21 degree tilt.
www.RocketSTEM .org