Kennedy Space Center - Apollo / Saturn V Center

Our second stop on the Kennedy Space Center bus tour in early February, 2013, was the Apollo / Saturn V Center.  Entering the center, we were ushered into grandstand type seating behind the actual Apollo firing room consoles and witnessed a launch countdown.  The firing room exit led us to the huge exhibition hall that houses a complete Saturn V rocket mounted horizontally along the center of the hall.

Looking down the exhibit hall from the first stage
toward the command module

The Saturn V rocket is separated into its various stages for display.  With the Apollo capsule, the complete Saturn V rocket was 363 feet tall with a diameter of 33 feet at the base, not counting the fins.  When fully loaded with fuel, the rocket weighed 6.5 million pounds and was capable of delivering a 260,000 payload into low earth orbit.  The rocket consisted of three stages plus the instrument unit.  The S-IC first stage consisted of five F-1 engines fueled by RP-1 rocket fuel with liquid oxygen (LOx) as an oxidizer.  RP-1 is a highly refined form of kerosene.  Each F-1 engine had a thrust of 1.5 million pounds or more than the three shuttle main engines combined.

The five F-1 engines of the Saturn V first stage

The S-II second stage consisted of five J-2 engines fueled by liquid hydrogen and LOx.  Each J-2 engine had a thrust of 232,250 pounds in a vacuum or 109,302 pounds at sea level.  

The five J-2 engines of the second stage
(note the golden frame at the top of the first stage
is only a museum mount and not flight hardware)

Instrument Unit

The S-IVB third stage consisted of one J-2 engine.  Mounted to the top of third stage was the tapered enclosure for the Lunar Module (LM).

The single J-2 engine of the third stage

The Command/Service Module used an AJ10-137 engine using Aerozine 50 fuel and nitrogen tetroxide as oxidizer.  

Command / Service Module (CSM)

The Command Module is the only portion of the Apollo / Saturn designed to return to the earth.  It was only 10.6 feet tall and 12.8 feet in diameter and weighed 12,250 pounds.

Apollo 14 Command Module Kitty Hawk

Lunar Module

Lunar Module interior

Lunar Rover

Lunar Tool Cart

Alan Shepard's Apollo 14 spacesuit

Moon Rock

Taking a cue from Disney World just up the road, the exit from the exhibit hall to the bus loading area is through a large gift shop.  Returning to the visitor center complex, the bus driver pointed out several alligators near the road.  At the visitor center, we had time to watch "Hubble 3-D" an excellent IMAX® movie about the final repair mission to the venerable space telescope.

Admission for one day at the Visitor Center and two days at the Astronaut Hall of Fame is $50 for an adult and $40 for children ages 3 through 11.  Admission includes the bus tour and both IMAX® movies.  Parking is an additional $10 per automobile or motorcycle and $15 per motor home.

The Space Center website is http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com.