CAPE KENNEDY, Fla. -- At Cape Kennedy Air Force Station in Florida, Gemini 12 pilot Edwin E. Buzz Aldrin Jr., seated in the spacecraft, practice stowing cameras and other equipment he and command pilot James A. Lovell will take along on their upcoming four-day Earth orbital mission. Lovell and Aldrin examined the equipment in the "White Room" atop Launch Complex 19. During Gemini 12, Lovell and Aldrin plan to rendezvous and dock with an Agena target satellite and Aldrin will perform two spacewalks. Photo Credit: NASA

CAPE KENNEDY, Fla. -- At the Cape Kennedy Air Force Station skid strip, Dr. Kurt H. Debus, director of the Kennedy Space Center, greets returning Gemini 12 astronauts James A. Lovell and Edwin E. Buzz Aldrin Jr. following their four-day Earth orbital mission. Photo Credit: NASA

Launch vehicles used by NASA in its history of exploring space are displayed in the "Rocket Garden" adjacent to the new Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.

Launch vehicles used by NASA in its history of exploring space are displayed in the "Rocket Garden" adjacent to the new Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.

The Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex honors what it takes to be a hero. In the center of this display are models of rockets that played key roles in the history of NASA's efforts to explore space. The new facility looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.

Launch vehicles used by NASA in its history of exploring space are displayed in the "Rocket Garden" adjacent to the new Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.

Boeing Vice President and General Manager John Elbon addresses the crowd gathered for the grand opening of the Heroes and Legends attraction at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Boeing is sponsoring the new attraction. Launch vehicles used by NASA in its history of exploring space also are displayed in the "Rocket Garden" adjacent to the new Heroes and Legends facility. The new facility includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame and looks back to the pioneering efforts of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. It sets the stage by providing the background and context for space exploration and the legendary men and women who pioneered the nation's journey into space.