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As you are probably aware, TPR gets invited to share some super cool experiences at NASA's Kennedy Space Center from time to time. In April we live tweeted from an amazing event at Cape Canaveral which included a launch of a SpaceX rocket. Here is what we reported on...

Oh, yeah, please follow NASA Social. They are @NASASocial on pretty much ever social media channel.


Today we'll be tweeting from a #NASASocial event at Kennedy Space Center!



Gonna be space geeking out @NASAKennedy for 2 days @NASASocial @SpaceX CRS-8 launch event!


Lots of space stuff happens in this building! Going inside now!





Lobby of the Neil Armstrong building showing off some past & recent #NASA projects!


Neil Armstrong's Apollo mission suit!


Park your space ship here!





Standing in the building where Orion crew modules will be built! So cool!





Working on the test Orion crew capsule that will eventually take humans to Mars! Amazing!


"Now that's a big door!" #Tron


Me and the V.A.B! Just hanging out together!


Hanging out in the press annex presentation about life on the space station!


Go, Science, GO! My favorite slide EVER!!!


Trent Smith has been a fountain of knowledge about the cargo being sent to #ISS





Not a new Light Saber! This how water, seeds, & plants are transported to #ISS!


Anna Sophia talks studying DNA on the Space Station. She's a HIGH SCHOOL senior & way smarter than us!




Geeking out over the door many astronauts walked through putting their "patch" on the wall.




Taking some time after the @NASASocial event to @ExploreSpaceKSC! Love the Visitors Center!





The Atlantis exhibit @ExploreSpaceKSC is just so seriously cool! Worth coming to the visitors center alone!


Best themed pay phone in all of central Florida! lol


First day at NASA has come to an end. Tomorrow we see a rocket launch!


We are back @NASAKennedy for more space geeking out! Follow along! Rocket launch later!


Robert Cabana, Director of @NASAKennedy talks about taking us on the roof of the VAB! Yes, please!



Hearing Robert Cabana, pilot of 4 Space Shuttle flights talk about #NASA is so inspiring!


"Mars is a round trip mission for NASA."



Listening to AWESOME Space Shuttle stories from astronaut Doug Wheelock.


Heard some just fantastic space mission stories from astronaut @Astro_Wheels this morning!


These #NASA crawlers are like something right out of #StarWars! Awesome!


Checking out launch pad 39A where @SpaceX manned missions will soon launch from!


In just a few hours this @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will be in space!


"You must be this tall to ride the Falcon 9 rocket."





Currently inside the VAB. We are about to go to the top!


Trying to capture the insane size of the VAB. It's impossible!


Looking straight down 500 feet from the top of the VAB! OMG!!!


The view from the top of the VAB! Holy cow! No words.





Going to the top of the VAB #ExtremeBucketList Simply amazing!





Up close & personal with one of @NASAKennedy's crawlers that will carry the SLS Rocket from VAB to 39A




It takes a lot of "gunk" to keep the crawlers moving!





Still just amazed we went to the top of the VAB!!!


We are T-1 hour to launch!


About 2 miles away from @SpaceX #Falcon9 launch! Lift off 4:43pm!


Just a few minutes until launch...


#NASASocial getting cameras ready for launch!


Another AWESOME @SpaceX #Falcon9 launch!


Watching a launch from @NASASocial event is indescribable! Breathtaking experience!

And here is what you've come here for! Video of the launch!


And that wraps up another amazing NASA Social event! Be sure to follow them on social media: @NASASocial

Definitely a lot of stuff you don't get to see on the "regular" tour--cool!

This is super fascinating! Thanks for sharing!
It's amazing what the human race can do when we set our minds to it!

Robb, how would you describe the sound from the rocket as I am sure the video doesn't do it justice?

So cool that you got to see all that awesome stuff up-close! I loved the "regular" tour at Kennedy Space Center, so I can only imagine how awesome it must be to do all this "special stuff". I'm so bummed we missed a launch on our visit to Orlando two years ago, we were supposed to head out at night to watch a launch, but weather was not coorperating so we stayed at home and the launch was postponed to the following night. Unfortunately that came in conflict with other plans, so we didn't go...

robbalvey wrote:The Atlantis exhibit @ExploreSpaceKSC is just so seriously cool! Worth coming to the visitors center alone!

This is so true! Seeing a real spaceshuttle up-close was one of few moments in my life which has left me in total awe!

Mr Stratosphere wrote:This is super fascinating! Thanks for sharing!
It's amazing what the human race can do when we set our minds to it!

Robb, how would you describe the sound from the rocket as I am sure the video doesn't do it justice?

What I've been told is that it sounds pretty much like popcorn popping times a billion.

As a side note: I was incredibly confused until I realized that this was a trip report from April. I thought they had just launched another F9 after Thursday's "anomaly."

So wonderful to see that the Space Program is still thriving and exciting so many people. When I was a kid, the main talk on the playground was Tang, the drink of Astronauts; and Space Ice Cream!!! (And, yes, almost forgot -- doing well in Math and Science. Poor ole me who loved English classes.)

Thanks so much for sharing your very special NASA experience! What a great opportunity for us to 'take the tour' with you!

Alice

Vekoma Fan Boy wrote:

Mr Stratosphere wrote:This is super fascinating! Thanks for sharing!
It's amazing what the human race can do when we set our minds to it!

Robb, how would you describe the sound from the rocket as I am sure the video doesn't do it justice?

What I've been told is that it sounds pretty much like popcorn popping times a billion.

Whoever told you that has never heard a rocket launch, apparently!

Basically you just feel the most loudest "quiet rumble" you've ever heard. Like someone with the most impressive sub-woofer moved in to the unit above you. You can feel the sound throughout your entire body and it just keeps rumbling for a good 40-90 seconds until you can't see it anymore.

It's quite a cool and amazing experience. I'd love to be there when one of the rockets comes back down to produce a sonic boom!

Vekoma Fan Boy wrote:As a side note: I was incredibly confused until I realized that this was a trip report from April. I thought they had just launched another F9 after Thursday's "anomaly."

Yes, reading is very important. You learn so much when you read simple sentences!

Love these pics and video. Thanks so much for sharing.

I've always been enthralled by the space program and have been pretty unlucky with my launches. I've been in Florida for 3 launches which was mostly by accident but we made the effort to be in the area on Launch day/night when we found out they were on when we were visiting Disney. all 3 ended up being delayed beyond the boundaries of the trips there so still haven't seen one. One day

I've recently applied for a couple of jobs at the European Space Agency to do with managing and interpreting geospacial data that comes back from their survey probes but the jobs are unbelievably over subscribed as you may expect. I've missed out and am waiting to hear about the other. I am not expecting to get anything but if you don't apply then you certainly won't. Shoot for the moon so to speak

I agree with the Atlantis exhibit as well. Its worth the admission alone.

I also really enjoyed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston. They occasionally do tours of the pool astronauts use to train for missions and they have replica parts of the ISS under water which is fascinating.

Anyone managed to see the other orbiters? or visited the other centers? such as Goddard Space Flight Center and the Jet Propulsion Lab. i Know they have visitors centers and would love to hear from people who've been.

Vekoma Fan Boy wrote:

Mr Stratosphere wrote:This is super fascinating! Thanks for sharing!
It's amazing what the human race can do when we set our minds to it!

Robb, how would you describe the sound from the rocket as I am sure the video doesn't do it justice?

What I've been told is that it sounds pretty much like popcorn popping times a billion.

As a side note: I was incredibly confused until I realized that this was a trip report from April. I thought they had just launched another F9 after Thursday's "anomaly."

I've never heard the popcorn comparison, but it's actually pretty good for rockets with solid propellant. Falcon 9 rockets are liquid fueled launches, so they're much quieter than their solid counterparts. The Space Shuttle had *massive* Solid Rocket Boosters on it, so it gave off a very loud and crackling sound. Some Delta IV and Atlas V rockets today can have some solid boosters on them in certain configurations.

Don't know how I missed this thread, but I am extremley jealous. Space rockets is one of my top interest and a tour like this is high on my bucket list.

Seriously, I would probably go to Kennedy space center straight out of the airport and then afterwards go to the Orlando parks.