Traffic was a mess coming and going from Cape Canaveral. My expectations of what we might see were somewhat spoiled by the fact we had already been to the Houston Space Center for a tour. However, excitement started to build when we found out that an actual launch was planned for the next morning. We drove to the Space X launch sight just down the beach from the Cocoa boardwalk after having lunch and watching the surfers tackle the waves. Their headquarters was not impressive, at least when compared to the Blue Origin compound, however it was their rocket holding 50 Starlink satellites that was scheduled for blast-off at 7:01 a.m.

We got up early to see the sunrise and launch, choosing a location across the water from Launch Pad 40, leased by Space X. In the far distance we could see the white cone of the Falcon 9. A number of photographers were set-up near us. I took the time to get in a quick mile while we waited. Neither my wife or I had a decent night’s sleep due to a flag-football team that was staying in the room directly above us. Mother Marriott refunded our points but that did not make up for the frustration of all the noise. There was a mist in the air when we found out about the 40-minute delay, having missed any signs of the sunset behind a bank of heavy clouds. Eventually, the flight was scrubbed so we headed back to the hotel to get ready to tour The Kennedy Space Center. 

We did at least see the draw bridge over the water operate – not quite as exciting as a launch. It was overall a much better experience than Houston. Most rockets are launched from the Cape because the spin of the earth will boost a trajectory traveling in an Eastern direction while there is also less risk of hitting a populated area in the event of a malfunction. Houston typically takes control after the launch and helps to retrieve the returning capsule in the calmer Gulf waters. Both sights played a major role in the moon landing. We rode on a launch simulator, took the bus out to the famous Launch Pad 39, and saw many different presentations on the history of space travel. The displays were much more elaborate than Houston, with more of a Disney-esque appeal. We saw Space Shuttle Atlantis, various Mars rovers, and the massive Saturn V rocket. It was all indeed worthy of the quote, “one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.”