FROM LEFT, U.S. SPACE & ROCKET CENTER CEO DR. DEBORAH BARNHART AND MARSHALL CENTER DIRECTOR PATRICK SCHEUERMANN DISCUSS NASA’S HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES WITH U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION ARNE DUNCAN AND THE NEWLY APPOINTED NASA ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR OF EDUCATION, DONALD JAMES. THE SECRETARY’S VISIT TO THE SPACE & ROCKET CENTER WAS PART OF HIS FIFTH ANNUAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL BUS TOUR AND INCLUDED AN EDUCATIONAL TOWN HALL MEETING WITH LOCAL STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After their tour of KSC, members of the North American Treaty Organization (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly board their tour bus to return to Orlando. The Parliamentarians are meeting in Orlando this year for their 49th annual gathering. They chose to visit KSC with their families during their one-day excursion break from meetings.

The Zero Emissions (ZE) transit bus tours the KSC Visitor Complex for a test ride. In the background are a mock-up orbiter named Explorer (left) and a stack of solid rocket boosters and external tank (right), typically used on Shuttle launches. Provided by dbb fuel cell engines inc. of Vancouver, Canada, the ZE bus was brought to KSC as part of the Center's Alternative Fuel Initiatives Program. The bus uses a Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell in which hydrogen and oxygen, from atmospheric air, react to produce electricity that powers an electric motor drive system. The by-product "exhaust" from the fuel cell is water vapor, thus zero harmful emissions. A typical diesel-powered bus emits more than a ton of harmful pollutants from its exhaust every year. The ZE bus is being used on tour routes at the KSC Visitor Complex for two days to introduce the public to the concept

This aerial view is of a tour stop on the KSC bus tour, the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry. This stop allows visitors to view and photograph Pads A and B in Launch Complex 39 from an elevated vantage point. The roadway leading to the tour stop runs next to the crawlerway (foreground) which is used to transport Space Shuttles to the pads

This aerial view is of a tour stop on the KSC bus tour, the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry. This stop allows visitors to view and photograph Pads A and B in Launch Complex 39 from an elevated vantage point. The roadway leading to the tour stop runs next to the crawlerway (foreground) which is used to transport Space Shuttles to the pads

KSC workers, with Center Director Roy Bridges (at right next to bus), head for the open door of the Zero Emissions (ZE) transit bus and a ride around the center. Provided by dbb fuel cell engines inc. of Vancouver, Canada, the ZE bus was brought to KSC as part of the Center's Alternative Fuel Initiatives Program. The bus uses a Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell in which hydrogen and oxygen, from atmospheric air, react to produce electricity that powers an electric motor drive system. The by-product "exhaust" from the fuel cell is water vapor, thus zero harmful emissions. A typical diesel-powered bus emits more than a ton of harmful pollutants from its exhaust every year. Available to employees for viewing and a ride, the ZE bus is also being used on tour routes at the KSC Visitor Complex Oct. 26-27

NASA Advisory Council Meeting at NASA Ames Research Center NRP Conference Center. on the tour bus Lew Braxton III in foreground taking with Eilene Collins from council.

The Zero Emissions (ZE) transit bus passes a mock-up orbiter named Explorer on a trek through the KSC Visitor Complex. Provided by dbb fuel cell engines inc. of Vancouver, Canada, the ZE bus was brought to KSC as part of the Center's Alternative Fuel Initiatives Program. The bus uses a Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell in which hydrogen and oxygen, from atmospheric air, react to produce electricity that powers an electric motor drive system. The by-product "exhaust" from the fuel cell is water vapor, thus zero harmful emissions. A typical diesel-powered bus emits more than a ton of harmful pollutants from its exhaust every year. The ZE bus is being used on tour routes at the KSC Visitor Complex for two days to introduce the public to the concept

In front of the Headquarters Building at KSC, Center Director Roy Bridges (left) looks at the hydrogen-oxygen driven engine powering a Zero Emissions (ZE) transit bus. Provided by dbb fuel cell engines inc. of Vancouver, Canada, the ZE bus was brought to KSC as part of the Center's Alternative Fuel Initiatives Program. The bus uses a Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell in which hydrogen and oxygen, from atmospheric air, react to produce electricity that powers an electric motor drive system. The by-product "exhaust" from the fuel cell is water vapor, thus zero harmful emissions. A typical diesel-powered bus emits more than a ton of harmful pollutants from its exhaust every year. Available for viewing by employees, the ZE bus is also being used on tour routes at the KSC Visitor Complex Oct. 26-27

KSC employees, along with Center Director Roy Bridges (second from left), view the hydrogen-oxygen driven engine powering a Zero Emissions (ZE) transit bus. Provided by dbb fuel cell engines inc. of Vancouver, Canada, the ZE bus was brought to KSC as part of the Center's Alternative Fuel Initiatives Program. The bus uses a Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell in which hydrogen and oxygen, from atmospheric air, react to produce electricity that powers an electric motor drive system. The by-product "exhaust" from the fuel cell is water vapor, thus zero harmful emissions. A typical diesel-powered bus emits more than a ton of harmful pollutants from its exhaust every year. Available for viewing by employees, the ZE bus is also being used on tour routes at the KSC Visitor Complex Oct. 26-27

On view in front of the Headquarters Building, the Zero Emissions (ZE) transit bus attracts an interested group of employees, including Center Director Roy Bridges (second from left in foreground). Provided by dbb fuel cell engines inc. of Vancouver, Canada, the ZE bus was brought to KSC as part of the Center's Alternative Fuel Initiatives Program. The bus uses a Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cell in which hydrogen and oxygen, from atmospheric air, react to produce electricity that powers an electric motor drive system. The by-product "exhaust" from the fuel cell is water vapor, thus zero harmful emissions. A typical diesel-powered bus emits more than a ton of harmful pollutants from its exhaust every year. Available for viewing by employees, the ZE bus is also being used on tour routes at the KSC Visitor Complex Oct. 26-27

This aerial view is of a tour stop on the KSC bus tour, the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry. This stop allows visitors to view and photograph Pads A and B in Launch Complex 39 from an elevated vantage point. The roadway leading to the tour stop runs next to the crawlerway (left) which is used to transport Space Shuttles from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the pads. Pad A can be seen in the background.

This aerial view is of a tour stop on the KSC bus tour, the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry. This stop allows visitors to view and photograph Pads A and B in Launch Complex 39 from an elevated vantage point. The roadway leading to the tour stop runs next to the crawlerway (left) which is used to transport Space Shuttles from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the pads. Pad A can be seen in the background.

This aerial view is of a tour stop on the KSC bus tour, the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry. This stop allows visitors to view and photograph Pads A and B in Launch Complex 39 from an elevated vantage point. The roadway leading to the tour stop runs next to the crawlerway (right) which is used to transport Space Shuttles from the Vehicle Assembly Building (background) to the pads

This aerial view is of a tour stop on the KSC bus tour, the Launch Complex 39 Observation Gantry. This stop allows visitors to view and photograph Pads A and B in Launch Complex 39 from an elevated vantage point. The roadway leading to the tour stop runs next to the crawlerway (right) which is used to transport Space Shuttles from the Vehicle Assembly Building (background) to the pads

An overview of the Space Station Processing Facility shows equipment and future payloads on Shuttle missions to the International Space Station. At left is a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello; at right another MPLM, Donatello. Windows on the wall at right give visitors on bus tours a look at operations during the day

An overview of the Space Station Processing Facility shows equipment and future payloads on Shuttle missions to the International Space Station. At left is a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello; at right another MPLM, Donatello. Windows on the wall at right give visitors on bus tours a look at operations during the day

This aerial view looking northeast shows a new stop (bottom) on the KSC bus tour that allow visitors to view Pad LC-39B (top). The tour stop is next to the crawlerway that is used to transport the Space Shuttle vehicles to the pad. The length of the crawlerway from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Pad B is 6,828 meters (22,440 ft); its width overall is 40 meters (130 ft); each lane is 12 meters (40ft) with a 15-meter (50ft) median.

CAPE KENNEDY, Fla. -- At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the 500,000th visitor to take a NASA escorted bus tour, Donald A. Jackson of Sabina, Ohio, was welcomed at the new Visitor Information Center on Merritt Island by deputy center director Albert F. Siepert, left. Jackson toured the center with his wife, Sue, and their three children, Cheryl, Craig and Doug. Jackson works for the National Cash Register Co. The 500,000th visitor was recorded less than an hour after the Visitor Information Center was officially opened to the public at 8:45 a.m. The NASA tours were begun July 22, 1966, and since that time visitors from every state in the nation and more than 60 nations have toured the space center. Photo Credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A full-scale test version of NASA's new Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is on display inside the Vehicle Assembly Building VAB for visitors on a bus tour originating from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. NASA’s Orion spacecraft, under development, will take astronauts farther into space than ever before. Public tours inside the VAB are being offered regularly through Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts, the concessionaire managing Kennedy’s visitor complex. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Visitors to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are given the opportunity to view a full-scale test version of NASA's new Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle inside the Vehicle Assembly Building VAB during a bus tour originating from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. NASA’s Orion spacecraft, under development, will take astronauts farther into space than ever before. Public tours inside the VAB are being offered regularly through Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts, the concessionaire managing Kennedy’s visitor complex. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Viewed from above in the Space Station Processing Facility are equipment and several future payloads on Shuttle missions to the International Space Station. At left near the front is the Integrated Electronics Assembly. Near the opposite end, under the large windows is the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Donatello. On the right, center, is the P3 truss. Behind it are the airlock and another MPLM, Raffaello. The large windows on the left wall give visitors on bus tours a look at operations during the day

A tour bus drives by a launch countdown sign inside the NASA Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, July 6, 2011 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Space shuttle Atlantis is set to liftoff Friday, July 8 on the final flight of the shuttle program, STS-135, a 12-day mission to the International Space Station. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan and Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweickart (second from right), are both pointing at the KSC Apollo/Saturn V rocket inside the building as they talk to other guests on the tour. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Greeting friends in the ASVC (left) is Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford. Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan shakes hands with Apollo 14 Back-up Lunar Module Pilot Joe H. Engle. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/ Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Discussing old times beneath the KSC Apollo/Saturn V rocket inside the building are (from left) Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/ Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Discussing old times are (from left) Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/ Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts admire an Apollo Command and Service Module during a tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The astronauts are (from left): Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young;. Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr.; Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; and Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex: Facilities on Merritt Island were sufficiently advanced by November 1964 to permit Sunday drive-through tours. The center set up a modest collection of model rockets and pictures in a warehouse for visitors to view. Based on a study by the U.S. National Park Service for a permanent facility, NASA selected the site on its own property and contracted with a commercial firm to operate the new center and bus tours. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has been expanded many times in the years since to better serve the increasing number of guests, provide new displays and tell the NASA story to the public. Poster designed by Kennedy Space Center Graphics Department/Greg Lee. Credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Visitors to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center are given the opportunity to view space shuttle Atlantis, which is in storage in High Bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building VAB, during a bus tour originating from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The shuttles are undergoing refurbishment for their transfer to locations around the country following the end of the Space Shuttle Program. Atlantis will be displayed in 2013 in a new facility under construction at Kennedy’s visitor complex. Public tours inside the VAB are being offered regularly through Delaware North Companies Parks and Resorts, the concessionaire managing Kennedy’s visitor complex. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/kennedy. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Several Apollo program astronauts, along with their family members and friends, watch a simulation of an Apollo/Saturn V launch in a replica of a Launch Control Center firing room in the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft component displays and multimedia presentations. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Several Apollo program astronauts, along with their family members and friends, pause before a painting of an Apollo/Saturn V launch vehicle at the pad in the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft component displays and multimedia presentations. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The KSC Visitor Complex welcomes more than 2.75 million visitors each year. Featured are bus tours of the space center with up-close views of Space Shuttle launch facilities and International Space Station processing. The Visitor Complex has recently undergone a $13 million expansion, with new exhibits, films, and an International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. and his wife, Lois, stand before a painting of an Apollo/Saturn V launch vehicle at the pad in the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft component displays and multimedia presentations. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

President Donald Trump tours a bus during the Made in America Product Showcase at the White House, Monday, July 23, 2018 in Washington. The Orion crew module that launched on Dec. 5, 2014 on the Exploration Flight Test-1 was also on display during the event. Lockheed Martin, NASA’s prime contractor for Orion, began manufacturing the Orion crew module in 2011 and delivered it in July 2012 to NASA's Kennedy Space Center where final assembly, integration and testing was completed. More than 1,000 companies across the country manufactured or contributed elements to the spacecraft. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart poses in front of an Apollo Command and Service Module in the the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. Several Apollo astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Several Apollo program astronauts, along with their family members and friends, watch a simulation of an Apollo/Saturn V launch in a replica of a Launch Control Center firing room in the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft component displays and multimedia presentations. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Cherie Blair, wife of Tony Blair, prime minister of Great Britain, stops at Launch Pad 39B on a tour of Kennedy Space Center. At left is the KSC bus driver, Dale Meneau, and at right is Robert Dudiak, a personal friend of the Blairs. Mrs. Blair is an attorney (barrister) in England. She was Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 1999-2006, and in July 2006 was awarded the honorary title of Emeritus Chancellor. She is also Governor of the London School of Economics and the Open University. She is a founding member of Matrix Chambers in London, from which she continues to practice as a barrister, which specializes in human rights law. Photo credit: NASA/John Keckley

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. and his wife, Lois, stand near an Apollo Lunar Module suspended from the ceiling of the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. Several Apollo astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/ Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts recall the past as they tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Standing underneath the KSC Apollo/Saturn V inside the building are (from left): Apollo 14 Back-up Lunar Module Pilot Joe H. Engle; Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; and Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts observe a Lunar Module and Moon mockup during a tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Some of the visiting astonauts were (from left): Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford; and Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Passing underneath the KSC Apollo/Saturn V inside the building are (from left): Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford; and Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Passing underneath the KSC Apollo/Saturn V inside the building are (from left): Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford; and Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Some of the former Apollo program astronauts pose in front of an Apollo Command and Service Module during a tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The astronauts are (from left): Apollo 14 Lunar Module Pilot Edgar D. Mitchell; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr.; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford; Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; and Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center

This illustration is an orbiter cutaway view with callouts. The orbiter is both the brains and heart of the Space Transportation System (STS). About the same size and weight as a DC-9 aircraft, the orbiter contains the pressurized crew compartment (which can normally carry up to seven crew members), the huge cargo bay, and the three main engines mounted on its aft end. There are three levels to the crew cabin. Uppermost is the flight deck where the commander and the pilot control the mission. The middeck is where the gallery, toilet, sleep stations, and storage and experiment lockers are found for the basic needs of weightless daily living. Also located in the middeck is the airlock hatch into the cargo bay and space beyond. It is through this hatch and airlock that astronauts go to don their spacesuits and marned maneuvering units in preparation for extravehicular activities, more popularly known as spacewalks. The Space Shuttle's cargo bay is adaptable to hundreds of tasks. Large enough to accommodate a tour bus (60 x 15 feet or 18.3 x 4.6 meters), the cargo bay carries satellites, spacecraft, and spacelab scientific laboratories to and from Earth orbit. It is also a work station for astronauts to repair satellites, a foundation from which to erect space structures, and a hold for retrieved satellites to be returned to Earth. Thermal tile insulation and blankets (also known as the thermal protection system or TPS) cover the underbelly, bottom of the wings, and other heat-bearing surfaces of the orbiter to protect it during its fiery reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. The Shuttle's 24,000 individual tiles are made primarily of pure-sand silicate fibers, mixed with a ceramic binder. The solid rocket boosters (SRB's) are designed as an in-house Marshall Space Flight Center project, with United Space Boosters as the assembly and refurbishment contractor. The solid rocket motor (SRM) is provided by the Morton Thiokol Corporation.