KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (Nov. 1, 2011) – Guests of all ages are invited to experience a weekend of “highs” at “Space, Air and Sea Weekend,” on Saturday, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 6 at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the Cocoa Beach Air Show, the largest annual event held in Brevard County.
A combined ticket price of $54.99 + tax for adults and $44.99 + tax for children ages 3-11 grants guests two-day admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and two-day admission to the Cocoa Beach Air Show, including reserved seating at Lori Wilson Park.
On Nov. 6, Visitor Complex guests can help welcome the U.S. Navy SEALs Parachute Jump Team, who will be performing a special parachute jump and landing in the Rocket Garden, followed by a photograph and autograph session. Also performing at the Air Show throughout the weekend are the F-18 Hornet Demo Team and a diverse and extreme lineup of more than 15 aircraft and acts, including the Heavy Metal Jet Team, B-1 Bomber, F-16 Viper and Vietnam-era F-4 Phantom.
Adding to the weekend’s excitement, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's Autograph & Memorabilia Show also takes place Nov. 5-6 at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex*. In conjunction with both events, the Visitor Complex will celebrate space exploration with special presentations by Apollo, Skylab and space shuttle astronauts and ground crew. Events include:
Saturday, November 5, 2011
• 10 a.m. – Presentation by Skylab 4 astronauts, Ed Gibson and Bill Pogue
• 11 a.m. – Presentation by Space Shuttle astronaut, Tom Jones
• 12:30 p.m. – The Shoulders They Stood On Presentation by Astronaut Ground Crew members: Bob Sieck, Jack King, Cal Fowler and Gerry Griffin
• 2 p.m. – Presentation by Apollo 9 astronaut, Rusty Schweickart
Sunday, November 6, 2011
• 11 a.m. – Presentation by Gemini IX, Apollo 10 & Apollo 17 astronaut, Gene Cernan
• 12:15 p.m. – U.S. Navy SEALs parachute jump into the Rocket Garden.
• 1 p.m. – Presentation by Apollo 13 astronaut, Fred Haise
*Special admission is required for entrance to the Astronaut Autograph & Memorabilia Show. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.astronautscholarship.org.
To purchase tickets for “Space, Air and Sea Weekend,” guests may visit www.kennedyspacecenter.com/air-show-events or call 866-737-5235. Due to the anticipated popularity of this event, reservations are strongly suggested.
Making a visit even more enticing, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex recently announced the start of a new guided special interest tour, KSC Up-Close, which, among other tour stops, allows guests inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to see where rockets are made. This marks the first time since 1978 that guests have been invited to disembark their tour buses and walk inside the VAB to see firsthand where monstrous vehicles were assembled for launch, from the very first Saturn V rocket in the late 1960s to the very last space shuttle, STS-135 Atlantis, earlier this year.
Beginning Nov. 1, the KSC Up-Close tour will be offered eight times daily for $25 for adults and $19 for children ages 3-11, plus the cost of admission which is $43 + tax for adults and $33 + tax for children ages 3-11.
Making this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity even more special, for a very limited time, guests on the KSC Up-Close tour may see a space shuttle orbiter inside the VAB as they are being prepared for display in their new homes in Los Angeles, Calif., Washington, DC and Florida.
While inside the VAB, guests will be able to walk along the edge of the Transfer Aisle, which is kept open to move behemoth elements of rockets among the four High Bays within the building. Tour communicators will provide a brief overview of the VAB and the work done there.
To book the KSC Up-Close special interest tour, visit www.kennedyspacecenter.com or call 866-737-5235. Due to the anticipated popularity of the tour, reservations are strongly suggested.
* Guests should note that the VAB tour stop is not a part of the regular KSC bus tour which is included with admission. Availability of the KSC Up-Close tour is based on space flight operations and is subject to change without notice.
**The opportunity to see a space shuttle in the VAB is available for a very limited time and is subject to change without notice.
About Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens at 9 a.m. Closing times vary by season. The Visitor Complex is open daily except December 25 and certain launch days. Admission includes the Kennedy Space Center Tour, Shuttle Launch Experience, 3D IMAX® space films, Astronaut Encounter, STAR TREKTM LIVE, Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted and all exhibits. Admission also includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®, featuring historic spacecraft and the world's largest collection of personal astronaut memorabilia, open from noon until 6:00 p.m. daily. Parking, wheelchairs, strollers and pet kennels are free of charge. Admission is $43 + tax for adults and $33 + tax for children ages 3-11. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Commander's Club Annual Pass is $56 + tax for adults and $46 + tax for children ages 3-11. For more information, call 877-313-2610 or visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com.
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