explore tour kennedy space center

• Park Overview Explore Missions Zones
• Heroes and Legends Space Pioneers
• Behind the Gates Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour
• Race to the Moon Apollo Moon Landing
• Shuttle: A Ship Like No Other NASA's Space Shuttle Program
• NASA Now + Next Preparing for Journey to Mars
• All Attractions
• Plan Your Visit
• Hours Of Operation
• Hotel Packages
• Travel Information
• Events Overview
• Event Calendar
• See A Launch
• Groups Overview Plan Events and Tours
• Youth Groups Programs and Field Trips
• Scouts Adventures for Scout Troops
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• International Programs and Custom Tours
• Camp KSC Day Camp for Students
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• Accessibility Information

KSC Explore Tour

IConic views at kennedy space center

Ride along with a space expert as they take you on a tour of America’s multi-user spaceport. The KSC Explore Tour goes beyond the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour, making several stops to capture once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities.  Get a photographic view of numerous spaceflight icons like the Vehicle Assembly Building and NASA Press Site, disembarking to capture photos along the way to the Apollo/Saturn V Center.

Enhance your experience by adding the Explore Tour to your day, available in addition to admission.

Multiple tours are offered daily, so choose your preferred date and time at the link below.

Please note:

• Please arrive at bus embarkation about 15 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
• It is not necessary to take the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour in addition to the KSC Explore Tour. Both tours end up at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Explore on your own before taking any visitor complex tour bus back to the main visitor complex. We recommend allotting about an additional hour for the Apollo/Saturn V Center and about 15 minutes for the return journey.
• If you purchase another timed experience (like Chat with an Astronaut), please be aware that timing may overlap.

*Tour availability and routes may be altered at any time with or without any notice due to operational requirements.  Safety protocols require an alternate tour bus route during launch days. 

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Kennedy Space Center with KSC Explore Tour

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Watch Itinerary

Enjoy a visit to kennedy space center with the addition of the ksc explore tour that goes beyond the regular bus tour of the nasa grounds.

• Explore Kennedy Space Center!
• Explore the NASA grounds and view the icons of the NASA flight operations
• Learn all there is to know from your professional driver-guide
• View the Space Shuttle Atlantis up-close
• Roundtrip transportation from Orlando, Kissimmee, Disney or Lake Buena Vista meeting points
• Admission to Kennedy Space Center
• Ticket to the KSC Explore Tour
• Assistance from a driver-guide
• Optional gratuities
• Meals and beverages
• Ticket cannot be used on BLACKOUT Dates for Kennedy Space Center - for example Delta Heavy Rocket Launches

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We have meeting points throughout the tourism corridors of Orlando, Lake Buena Vista, and Kissimmee including the Disney and Universal areas. Please arrive to your meeting location at least 5 to 10 minutes prior to the departure time. Wait outside the meeting point as the Guides will not go into lobbies or stores to look for guests

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Your Gateway to Space

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Always Exploring at The Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has its origins in 1963 when NASA allowed self-guided tours and later when congress approved funding for a full scale visitor center, Spaceport USA.

Today, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex sits on 42 acres and is America’s front row view to space travel past, present, and future. Historic artifacts, Kennedy Space Center tours, astronaut encounters, rocket launches, and models and simulation of future space travel.

Check Off Your Bucket List

Seeing a rocket launch from Florida’s Space Coast is on many people’s bucket list, and there’s no way for a civilian to get closer to the action than through special viewing options offered by the Visitor Complex. Common options for major launches include “Feel the Heat” which gives you a front row seat at the viewing area at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, only 6 miles from the closest pad. 

May 2, 2024

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-55

A batch of satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation – SpaceX’s project for space-based Internet communication system.

May 6, 2024

Atlas V N22 | CST-100 Starliner Crewed Flight Test

This is the first crewed test flight of Starliner spacecraft. It will carry NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Suni Williams to the International Space Station.

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-56

May 7, 2024

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 6-57

May 30, 2024

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 7-26

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 7-30

Upcoming Space Coast Launches

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the best place to watch a rocket launch on Florida's Space Coast! Check out what's launching soon

Unique Experiences

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is packed full of attractions and artifacts from America’s Space Program. Some of the experiences include:

• U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame – Pay your respects to the great heroes of the United States Space Program and learn about the early days of our journey to the stars
• Apollo/Saturn V Center – Until you’ve stood under it, you cannot understand how massive the Saturn V rocket is. Relive the entire Apollo program with various exhibits built around America’s trip to the moon
• Space Shuttle Atlantis – There are only 4 real space shuttles on display across the country, and we have one here! Space Shuttle Atlantis is presented in all its glory with it’s bay doors open. Don’t miss the Shuttle Launch Experience ride and the full scale replica of the Hubble Space Telescope
• Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex – Step into the modern era of Commercial Government collaboration in space. Check out a real SpaceX Falcon 9 booster and other artifacts from NASA’s commercial partners. Then step into Spaceport USA ride where you can virtually journey to the stars

Tips for Visiting

• Arrive early: There is so much to do at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and so little time to do it. Guests are often disappointed that when they choose to arrive later in the day they end up missing out on large sections of the experience. Your family can explore for 2 days and still not run out of things to discover
• Plan Ahead: Knowing which exhibits you want to and planning your route can help those with limited time get the most out of KSCVC. The Visitor Complex sometimes offers special viewing options for major launches, and this is the best way to get up close to the action, but this is also one of the closest spots to view normal launches as well. If you can time your visit with a launch attempt there are sometimes speakers and events centered around them as well.

• Protect Yourself: While most of the artifacts are inside air conditioned buildings, a good chunk of time is spent out in the Florida sun and rain walking between major attraction areas. KSCVC is surrounded by nature and swampland, and as such, bugs can become an issue at certain times of the day. Check the weather and pack sunscreen, rain gear and bug spray as appropriate
• Know Your Peak Seasons:  Like other Florida theme parks, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is usually busier around the holiday season, and times when families have vacations. Plan your trip accordingly, pack your patience, and be prepared for slightly longer lines

Related Yearly Events

• Yuri’s Night – April: Party with your fellow space nerds, astronauts, and more and celebrate Yuri Gagarin (the first human to leave Earth) and all things Space!
• Space Coast International Air Show – April/May:  South Brevard’s premiere Air Show takes over the skies above Melbourne
• Cocoa Beach Air Show – April/May:  Enjoy the waves and sun, while some of the greatest aircraft in the world put on a show above Cocoa Beach
• Thunder on Cocoa Beach – April/May: Get your adrenaline pumping as power boats and other watercraft race to be king of Cocoa Beach
• Taste of Space/Marstini Shake-Off – Oct-Nov: Sample the special menu at the Visitor Complex and enjoy special food and drink events all month
• Holidays in Space – Dec: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex goes all out for the holidays with special exhibits and decorations

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Space Coast Launches App

Are you obsessed with space? Download our Space Coast Launches App to watch a live stream of every rocket launched from Kennedy Space Center & Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida.

• Locate the exact spot on the horizon to watch during a live rocket launch using the Compass feature.
• Countdown every second with real-time launch clock on the main screen.
• Keep track of upcoming missions including current launch schedule, in-depth mission plans and rocket details.

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The KSC Explore Tour is Back at Kennedy Space Center

About an hour and a half from Walt Disney World  is Kennedy Space Center where it's not only fun but extremely educational. Recently, they sent out an email sharing that the The KSC Explore Tour is back.

What's Happening:

• Nowhere else can you get this close to the operational facilities and launch pads of Kennedy Space Center.
• Tickets  are on sale now for the KSC Explore Tour, an hour and 45 minute bus tour that makes numerous stops throughout America’s multi-user spaceport. With a space expert as your guide, see exclusive panoramic views of the Vehicle Assembly Building, Launch Complex 39, and plenty more along the way.
• The KSC Explore Tour is available for $25 for adults and $19 for children (ages 3-11) in addition to admission.
• Please arrive at bus embarkation about 15 minutes before your scheduled departure time.
• It is not necessary to take the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour in addition to the KSC Explore Tour. Both tours end up at the Apollo/Saturn V Center. Explore on your own before taking any visitor complex tour bus back to the main visitor complex. We recommend allotting about an additional hour for the Apollo/Saturn V Center and about 15 minutes for the return journey.
• If you purchase another timed experience (like Chat with an Astronaut), please be aware that timing may overlap.

Home » A First-Timer’s Guide to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

A First-Timer’s Guide to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

The minute you step through the gates at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex , you are transported to an out-of-this-world experience with limitless possibilities, and a showcase of what humankind has achieved in its travels to space – and beyond.

If it’s your first time at the visitor complex, we understand it can be a little overwhelming with so much to do. That’s why we’ve put together a guide for first-time visitors

One-day and two-day tickets for adults and children ages 3-11 are on sale, with senior and military discounts also available.

Save time ahead of your visit by purchasing tickets online at KennedySpaceCenter.com, and heading directly to the front gate! Tickets can be purchased on-site, too.

If you want to spend multiple days at the visitor complex (and why wouldn’t you?) then consider getting an annual pass for you and your family. Having either a two-day ticket or an annual pass allows you to visit the complex more than once and really take in all we have to offer! Click here for all the ticket details .

ENJOYING YOUR DAY

With so much offered, here’s a breakdown of what you can do at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

At Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex®, see the visionary designs paving the way of human deep space travel while also discovering the current cutting-edge innovations of space exploration from NASA and commercial partners. And while at Gateway, don’t forget to take experience Spaceport KSC, where you’ll launch aboard one of four unforgettable journeys during an immersive ride. Guests must be 39” minimum to enjoy the attraction.

Experience the dawn of the space age and get up close with actual artifacts at Heroes & Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame® presented by Boeing®.

At Universe Theater, meet a veteran astronaut and hear their stories at Astronaut Encounter, learn about the matter in It’s A Matter of Fact, and hear about recent and upcoming NASA missions in Mission Status Briefings. Check the Daily Schedule for show times.

At Space Shuttle Atlantis®, see the real Atlantis orbiter, which flew to space 33 times and traveled 126 million miles. You can also interact with more than 60 exhibits and simulators about what it’s like to live and work in space! And don’t forget to strap in for the Shuttle Launch Experience®. If you have motion sensitivities, you can still enjoy the mission briefing pre-show. The attraction has a 44” height minimum. A non-motion viewing area is also available.

Little ones can enjoy Planet Play, a fully immersive play experience for the next generation of space explorers.

Don’t miss the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where you’ll explore the Apollo Program’s worldwide impact – all while standing underneath the tallest rocket ever flown. You can also touch a Moon rock, watch first-hand accounts of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and more. The Apollo/Saturn V Center is accessible through the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour, where you can go behind NASA’s gates to see the past, present, and future of America’s multi-user spaceport.

Also, don’t forget to explore the Rocket Garden, visit Journey To Mars launched by United Launch Alliance, and see a space-themed film at IMAX®.

ENHANCE YOUR VISIT

The fun doesn’t stop there.

More enhancements are available for purchase in addition to admission. They are:

– Astronaut Training Stages: The experience for guests ages 10 and older allows you to practice your docking skills, navigate the Mars terrain, experience the sensation of performing a spacewalk, and more.

– Chat With An Astronaut: Enjoy a sampling of food and beverages while getting the chance to ask a real veteran astronaut your most pressing questions in a small-group setting. Purchase tickets online or at Guest Services.

– KSC Explore Tour: Go beyond the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour! Make several stops to capture once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities of spaceflight icons. Tickets are available for purchase online or at Information. Arrive at least 15 minutes before your tour departure time.

BE YOUR OWN GUIDE

Use your smartphone to create your own customized multimedia tour. The KSC SmartGuide app is available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese and American Sign Language. Download the app for free from the App Store and Google Play.

Also, the visitor complex has partnered with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, creating a welcoming space for people with autism and sensory needs. Sensory Guides are established at each attraction entrance. Don’t forget to download the Sensory Guide as well.

COME HUNGRY

You’ll probably work up an appetite while you’re at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Luckily, there are plenty of food and drink options available.

Enjoy pizza, salads, burgers, pulled pork at Orbit Cafe, acai bowls and choose-your-protein dishes at Space Bowl Bistro, hot dogs and other classics at Red Rock Grill, and more. For a quick pick-me-up, enjoy Starbucks®, ice cream at Milky Way, traditional movie favorites at IMAX Snax, and more.

If your first visit is this fall, then it’s the perfect time to partake in our annual Taste of Space Fall Bites! Celebrate the taste of the season from Oct. 2-Nov. 5, 2023, with brand-new menu options throughout the visitor complex. Click here for more information.

During the holiday season, you can enjoy Holidays in Space across the visitor complex. There is a nightly projection show, and festive holiday décor throughout the grounds including six-foot-tall astronaut nutcrackers and a 50-foot tree with more than 61,000 pixels of light and so much more.

PICK UP A SOUVENIR

Don’t forget a piece of memorabilia to commemorate your trip to the visitor complex when you visit The Space Shop, the world’s largest collection of NASA merchandise. Gifts and souvenirs are also available at Shuttle Express, which features gifts and souvenirs about the Atlantis orbiter and NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. At The Right Stuff at Apollo/Saturn V Center, pick up products that celebrate the Apollo missions.

Also, take the memories home with you with Astropass, powered by Storibox, which includes all your digital photos from all of the visitor complex’s photo locations. It’s available for purchase online or at Guest Services.

What are YOU most excited about for your first visit ?

NASA’s Earth-Observing Mission, PACE, Releases First Set of Data to Public

On February 8, 2024, NASA launched its newest Earth-observing satellite, the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The first of the mission’s data was just made available to the public . 

The PACE mission advances NASA’s ability to assess ocean health and extends NASA’s 20 years of observing the ocean via satellites. Mission measurements of plankton, aerosols, clouds, and the ocean will help NASA better understand the connections between them and their complex relationships within Earth’s larger climate system. 

“These stunning images are furthering NASA’s commitment to protect our home planet,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in NASA’s press release . “PACE’s observations will give us a better understanding of how our oceans and waterways, and the tiny organisms that call them home, impact Earth. From coastal communities to fisheries, NASA is gathering critical climate data for all people.”

NASA’s Earth Fleet

The PACE mission is one of many in NASA’s current fleet of missions positioned to study and better understand Earth. According to NASA, these missions will provide researchers data to address questions about global climate change. 

PACE’s data release to the public began April 11, 2024. Data can be accessed at https://pace.oceansciences.org/access_pace_data.htm . A limited suite of data products is currently available in this first release, but NASA states the public should expect additional data products as the mission continues data collection.  

NC Space Grant Experiences PACE Launch Pre p

As part of the NASA Social program , I was accepted by the NASA Social program to experience the launch firsthand. For two days, I got behind-the-scenes looks of NASA Kennedy Space Center , which led up to the launch – the moment we were all excited for!

However the weather didn’t look favorable the hours leading up to launch, and the first launch attempt was scrubbed. As a result, several of us, including me, missed seeing the launch in-person. After two scrubbed launch attempts, PACE launched in the early hours of February 8, 2024, two days after initially planned.

In the two-days I got to explore the Kennedy Space Center, I learned about what it takes to get rockets into space. I attended tours around NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, including the Vehicle Assembly Building , where PACE’s SpaceX Falcon was assembled; the Launch Services Program Mission Director’s Center , LSP’s premier control room in the Hangar AE building at the Kennedy Space Center; and the Space Launch Complex 40, where PACE launched.

This experience was truly out of this world. PACE will allow scientists to better understand ocean health and more broadly, the changing world we live in. NASA’s investment in Earth-monitoring missions is timely, as researchers and scientists work to answer key questions about the Earth’s climate. 

This post was originally published in North Carolina Space Grant.

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The National Space Centre is home to the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium, the UK's largest fulldome planetarium. Included in your first visit is an award-winning show from our library (pick the one that suits you when you book online). 

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NASA’s Optical Comms Demo Transmits Data Over 140 Million Miles

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft is shown in a clean room at the Astrotech Space Operations facility near the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Dec. 8, 2022. DSOC’s gold-capped flight laser transceiver can be seen, near center, attached to the spacecraft.

NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications experiment also interfaced with the Psyche spacecraft’s communication system for the first time, transmitting engineering data to Earth.

Riding aboard NASA’s Psyche spacecraft , the agency’s Deep Space Optical Communications technology demonstration continues to break records. While the asteroid-bound spacecraft doesn’t rely on optical communications to send data, the new technology has proven that it’s up to the task. After interfacing with the Psyche’s radio frequency transmitter, the laser communications demo sent a copy of engineering data from over 140 million miles (226 million kilometers) away, 1½ times the distance between Earth and the Sun.

This achievement provides a glimpse into how spacecraft could use optical communications in the future, enabling higher-data-rate communications of complex scientific information as well as high-definition imagery and video in support of humanity’s next giant leap: sending humans to Mars .

“We downlinked about 10 minutes of duplicated spacecraft data during a pass on April 8,” said Meera Srinivasan, the project’s operations lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Until then, we’d been sending test and diagnostic data in our downlinks from Psyche. This represents a significant milestone for the project by showing how optical communications can interface with a spacecraft’s radio frequency comms system.”

This visualization shows the Psyche spacecraft’s position on April 8 when the DSOC flight laser transceiver transmitted data at a rate of 25 Mbps over 140 million miles to a downlink station on Earth. See an interactive version of Psyche in NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System .

The laser communications technology in this demo is designed to transmit data from deep space at rates 10 to 100 times faster than the state-of-the-art radio frequency systems used by deep space missions today.

After launching on Oct. 13, 2023, the spacecraft remains healthy and stable as it journeys to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter to visit the asteroid Psyche.

Surpassing Expectations

NASA’s optical communications demonstration has shown that it can transmit test data at a maximum rate of 267 megabits per second (Mbps) from the flight laser transceiver’s near-infrared downlink laser — a bit rate comparable to broadband internet download speeds.

That was achieved on Dec. 11, 2023, when the experiment beamed a 15-second ultra-high-definition video to Earth from 19 million miles away (31 million kilometers, or about 80 times the Earth-Moon distance). The video, along with other test data, including digital versions of Arizona State University’s Psyche Inspired artwork, had been loaded onto the flight laser transceiver before Psyche launched last year.

Now that the spacecraft is more than seven times farther away, the rate at which it can send and receive data is reduced, as expected. During the April 8 test, the spacecraft transmitted test data at a maximum rate of 25 Mbps, which far surpasses the project’s goal of proving at least 1 Mbps was possible at that distance.

News from Infinity and Beyond

The project team also commanded the transceiver to transmit Psyche-generated data optically. While Psyche was transmitting data over its radio frequency channel to NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN), the optical communications system simultaneously transmitted a portion of the same data to the Hale Telescope at Caltech’s Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California — the tech demo’s primary downlink ground station.

“After receiving the data from the DSN and Palomar, we verified the optically downlinked data at JPL,” said Ken Andrews, project flight operations lead at JPL. “It was a small amount of data downlinked over a short time frame, but the fact we’re doing this now has surpassed all of our expectations.”

Fun With Lasers

After Psyche launched, the optical communications demo was initially used to downlink pre-loaded data, including the Taters the cat video . Since then, the project has proven that the transceiver can receive data from the high-power uplink laser at JPL’s Table Mountain facility, near Wrightwood, California. Data can even be sent to the transceiver and then downlinked back to Earth on the same night, as the project proved in a recent “turnaround experiment.”

This experiment relayed test data — as well as digital pet photographs — to Psyche and back again, a round trip of up to 280 million miles (450 million kilometers). It also downlinked large amounts of the tech demo’s own engineering data to study the characteristics of the optical communications link.

“We’ve learned a great deal about how far we can push the system when we do have clear skies, although storms have interrupted operations at both Table Mountain and Palomar on occasion,” said Ryan Rogalin, the project’s receiver electronics lead at JPL. (Whereas radio frequency communications can operate in most weather conditions, optical communications require relatively clear skies to transmit high-bandwidth data.)

JPL recently led an experiment to combine Palomar, the experimental radio frequency-optical antenna at the DSN’s Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in Barstow, California, and a detector at Table Mountain to receive the same signal in concert. “Arraying” multiple ground stations to mimic one large receiver can help boost the deep space signal. This strategy can also be useful if one ground station is forced offline due to weather conditions; other stations can still receive the signal.

More About the Mission

Managed by JPL, this demonstration is the latest in a series of optical communication experiments funded by the Technology Demonstration Missions (TDM) program under NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and the agency’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) program within the Space Operations Mission Directorate. Development of the flight laser transceiver is supported by MIT Lincoln Laboratory, L3 Harris, CACI, First Mode, and Controlled Dynamics Inc., and Fibertek, Coherent, and Dotfast support the ground systems. Some of the technology was developed through NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research program .

Arizona State University leads the Psyche mission. JPL is responsible for the mission’s overall management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Psyche is the 14th mission selected as part of NASA’s Discovery Program under the Science Mission Directorate, managed by the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, managed the launch service. Maxar Technologies provided the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis from Palo Alto, California.

For more information about the laser communications demo, visit:

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/dsoc

News Media Contact

Ian J. O’Neill

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

818-354-2649

[email protected]

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Millennium Stage (In-Person and Livestream) Sisterfire  Reunion

Millennium Stage

Evelyn Harris and Kim Jordan reunite at Sisterfire after 40 years. They are joined by Be Steadwell, Marcia Gomes, and Yasmeen Williams. Sisterfire is a cross-generational celebration of resistance, coalition, and emancipatory imagination, creativity, and performance in the arts.

Online advance reservations for a given performance date will open on a rolling basis, opening every Wednesday two weeks out from the date.

On Sale Wed. Jun. 12, 2024 10a.m.

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Evelyn Harris and Kim Jordan reunite at Sisterfire after 40 years. They are joined by Be Steadwell , Marcia Gomes , and Yasmeen Williams .

42 years ago, Roadwork, a multiracial coalition of LGBTQ, social, and racial justice arts activists in Washington, D.C. created the Sisterfire festival: a defiant, radical-democratic celebration in the wake of Republican funding cuts to grassroots arts organizations. Walking in the footsteps of civil rights, labor, women’s, lesbian, and gay rights movements, Roadwork opened and transformed public life in all spaces and institutions. Today Sisterfire remains a cross-generational celebration of resistance, coalition, and emancipatory imagination, creativity, and performance in the arts. The future is what is happening right now.

Learn more about Road Work Center here .

Marcia Gomes

Marcia Gomes is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and actor whose songs explore faith, redemption, and social justice.

Learn more about Marcia Gomes here .

Evelyn Harris

Evelyn Harris worked with Roadwork and Sisterfire in the 1970s–80s and sang with Sweet Honey In The Rock for 18 years. Her 1989 Grammy®–nominated song, “State of Emergency,” is as relevant now as it was then. Her current band StompBoxTrio blends American blues, rock, and soul music. Kim was musical director for jazz poet Gil Scott Heron and continues to honor him through The Revolution Will Be Live Tour. She appeared in the Kennedy Center Women in Jazz Series.

Learn more about StompBoxTrio here .

Be Steadwell

B e Steadwell is a queer pop composer and storyteller who composes songs on stage using looping, vocal layering, and beatboxing.

Learn more about Be Steadwell here .

Yasmeen Williams

Yasmeen Williams is a gospel singer/songwriter who sang with Sweet Honey In The Rock from 1976–1985.

Ticketing & Entry

For all Millennium Stage performances, a limited number of advance reservations are available on a first come, first served basis. Advance reservations do not guarantee a seat, and patrons are encouraged to arrive early.

For live Millennium Stage performances free tickets will also be available at the Hall of States Box Office on the day of the performance, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Seating is first come, first served. Standing room is available behind the seated area as space allows.

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SpaceX rocket launch doubleheader this weekend! Where to watch in Sebastian, Vero Beach

Best views to watch a rocket launch is along the beach. visibility in indian river, st. lucie & martin county will depend on weather conditions..

Day or night, watching a rocket launch on the beach is so Florida. But can someone on the Treasure Coast of Florida see a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral ?

Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover, yes. We have suggestions on where and how to watch a rocket launch from Indian River County, Martin County or St. Lucie County below if you keep scrolling.

Is there a rocket launch in Florida today? Rocket launch calendar for Florida

Here's what we know about the rocket launch missions, mentioned in  FLORIDA TODAY's rocket launch calendar  for the month, which is updated frequently. (Check that link often for rocket launch times and dates because they are routinely subject to change for a variety of reasons.)

FLORIDA TODAY, a USA TODAY Network-Florida newspaper, provides interactive launch coverage at  floridatoday.com/space  with frequent updates on launches at least 90 minutes in advance, sometimes longer, depending on the mission. For questions or comments, email  Space Reporter Rick Neale  at [email protected] or tweet him  @rickneale1  on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter. You also can contact Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at [email protected] or tweet her @brookeofstars on X or Instagram .

When is the next rocket launch at Kennedy Space Center, Florida? Saturday, April 27: SpaceX Galileo satellites

Though SpaceX has not publicly announced this mission, a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning shows this launch window will open Saturday, April 27, 2024.

• Mission:  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch Galileo satellites for the European Space Agency's global navigation system from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
• Launch window:  8:29 p.m. to 9:11 p.m. EDT Saturday, April 27, 2024
• Location:  Launch pad 39A
• Live coverage:  Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at  floridatoday.com/space .

Is there a rocket launch in Cape Canaveral, Florida? Sunday, April 28: SpaceX Starlink

Though SpaceX has not publicly announced this mission, a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warning shows this launch window will open Sunday, April 28, 2024.

• Mission:  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a batch of Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
• Launch window:  5:50 p.m. to 10:21 p.m. EDT Sunday, April 28, 2024
• Location:  Launch Complex 40
• Trajectory:  Southeast
• Local sonic boom:  No
• Booster landing:  Drone ship out on the Atlantic Ocean

Where can I watch SpaceX rocket launches online?

If you want to watch live rocket launch coverage,  FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team  will provide updates at  floridatoday.com/space , starting about 90 minutes before launch time. You can download the free app for iPhone or Android or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.

Where can I see a Florida rocket launch in Indian River County, St. Lucie County and Martin County?

The best views to watch a rocket launch from neighboring Brevard County, aka the Space Coast, is here along the beach. Visibility in Indian River County,  St. Lucie County  and Martin County, part of the Treasure Coast, will depend on weather conditions, and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches. Look due north. Here are some recommended spots, from closest to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center to farthest:

• Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you'll get a view of the rocket launch. That includes  Melbourne Beach , which borders Indian River County, or from Grant-Valkaria along the Indian River Lagoon.

•  Sebastian Inlet Park , 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)

•  Wabasso Beach Park , 1808 Wabasso Beach Road, Wabasso

•  Ambersands Beach Park , 12566 N. SR A1A, Vero Beach (free parking)

•  South Beach Park , 1700 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach (free parking)

•  Merrill Barber Bridge  in Vero Beach

•  Alma Lee Loy Bridge  in Vero Beach 

•  Fort Pierce Inlet , 905 Shorewinds Drive

•  Blind Creek Beachside  North and South, South Ocean Drive or SR A1A on Hutchinson Island in Fort Pierce

•  Blue Heron Beach , 2101 Blue Heron Blvd., Fort Pierce

•  Frederick Douglass Memorial Park , 3600 S. Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

•  Dollman Park Beachside , 9200 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

•  Herman's Bay Beach , 7880 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

•  John Brooks Park Beachside , 3300 S Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

•  Middle Cove Beach , 4600 South Ocean Drive, Fort Pierce

•  Normandy Beach  in Jensen Beach

•  Pepper Park Beachside , 3302 N. SR A1A, Fort Pierce

•  Walton Rocks Beach , which has a dog park, 6700 South Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

•  Waveland Beach , 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach

•  House of Refuge and beach , 301 S.E. MacArthur Blvd., Stuart

•  State Road A1A causeway in Stuart

Rick Neale  is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories,  click here .) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or  [email protected] . Twitter/X:  @RickNeale1

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Russia set to build new space center in Moscow (PHOTOS)

Russia’s new National Space Center is being constructed on the site of the Khrunichev State Space Research and Production Center in western Moscow.

On June 21, the Moscow City Architecture Committee approved the urban planning solution, according to the official website of the Moscow Mayor’s Office.

The tender to develop the architectural concept, announced in October 2019, was won by the Russian design bureau UNK Project.

According to their concept, the main component of the center will be a triangular tower in the form of a 248m-tall rocket, which will house the headquarters of Roscosmos. The facade of the building will be illuminated to create a moving-up effect. And at the base, lighting fixtures will simulate the flame of a rocket booster.

Adjoining the tower will be a long building with research labs and offices. This building will be traversed by a 545m-long central gallery, along which canteens and consumer services will be located.

In addition, the complex will feature open-air museums in U-shaped courtyards, where pieces of aerospace equipment will be suspended in the air via cables between the buildings.

The ceremonial laying of the first stone took place in September 2019, and construction is scheduled to finish by 2022.

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