We got a chance to look at the Shuttle Explorer (from underneath the fuel tank and boosters) and then we found out from Mary our guide that this was not a real shuttle, but a mock up.  Mary  here did a wonderful job telling us about the Shuttle and various Programs.  Mary also told us that this wasn't a shuttle, it's an orbiter, the Shuttle is the entire system, consisting of the Orbiter, the solid rocket boosters, and the external fuel tank.

First she selected Scott.....

Who Got the boot here......

Then the gloves and the helmet.   Astronaut Scott is ready to go to work in space!

We visited the Rocket garden where we saw the rockets that made the manned space missions possible.  Here we saw a Saturn rocket, this rocket only had 8 engines, it's the one laying on it's side in the background.  Then......

We then set out for the Cape where we passed the Vehicle Assembly Building, those two doors are big enough to let the Stature of Liberty pass through.

We got lucky, and they had a transport crawler moving out from the VAB, this picture doesn't say anything for it's size!

Here we are on the observation gantry on PAD 39, where NASA launched Apollo rockets from.  What you see here is the roadway that is used to transport the Space Shuttle to the launch site.  The road you see curving to the left is the crawler road.  It's not two lanes, one for the tracks on each side of the crawler.  If you look back in the picture, you'll see the Space Shuttle, nearly ready for the Launch on tuesday July 20, 1999 when it should launch the Chandra xray satellite.

The other  crawlway goes to this launch site, this is also a shuttle launch site.

Here we say a simulation of the Apollo Mission Control center.

Of course, I should tell you about our daily  storm shot, this one missed us!

This is one of three Saturn five rockets that were left over after the Apollo program ended.  It's SO big you can't seen the other end from here.

THESE are the five engines of the Saturn V rocket, this picture also can't do this any justice, they are too big and impressive for words!

We had to finally leave NASA and go eat dinner  The restaurant sits high and dry over the pier and has a nice aerial view of the beach.  Now I wonder what all these GUYS are staring at?

Well, that's all for today's update, tomorrow we don't have a lot planned, we will be going to the IMAX theater  at  Kennedy again, and doing a little shopping, then we will be back, the kids are going to the beach, and I'll be working here again!  We'll see.......