Moon Fever Takes Off

Holidaymakers Inspired by Artemis II Can Take One Giant Leap at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

As the four Artemis II astronauts journey home after travelling farther from Earth than any humans in history, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is inviting holidaymakers to enjoy a space adventure of their own – in Florida!

The world has been captivated by the spectacular launch from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B on 1 April, as well as the extraordinary images and live broadcasts from deep space that the Artemis II moon-mission has delivered. From the tense 40‑minute loss of signal as they travelled behind the Moon to the breathtaking solar eclipse witnessed from the astronauts’ Orion spacecraft, millions have followed every step of this landmark flight that marks humanity’s bold return to lunar exploration after more than 50 years.

For holidaymakers inspired by the awe and excitement of Artemis II, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, less than an hour’s drive from Orlando in Florida, offers the closest experience to space without leaving Earth – a chance to stand where real missions launch and feel part of NASA’s past, present and future.

Guests can get a hands-on feel for the story of humans in space through thrilling simulators, behind-the-scenes tours, interactive exhibits, and larger-than-life 3D space films.

From standing nose‑to‑nose with the legendary Space Shuttle Atlantis^® and feeling the rumble of lift‑off on the Shuttle Launch Experience^®, to walking beneath the awe‑inspiring Saturn V Moon rocket at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, the complex brings NASA’s most iconic achievements to life. The Rocket Garden, Heroes & Legends featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame^®, and the chance to meet a real NASA astronaut every day ensures guests leave with a deeper connection to the pioneers who shaped our journey beyond Earth.

The Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour takes guests behind the gates of America’s most storied spaceport, offering an up‑close look at the restricted areas where space history has been – and continues to be – made. Guests travel through NASA’s working launch facilities, passing the world‑famous Vehicle Assembly Building and the legendary Launch Complex 39 – the very site from which Artemis II astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen left Earth for their 10‑day journey around the Moon, where the Artemis I test flight lifted off in 2022, and where the original Apollo missions thundered into the sky before them.

Unveilved in summer 2025, The Gantry at LC‑39, is a reimagined observation gantry offering 360° views across active launch pads and NASA’s working spaceport, placing guests at the heart of the action. Inside, the Earth Information Center (EIC) blends immersive theatre, dynamic data visualisation and interactive exhibits to reveal how our planet is changing — and how space technology helps us understand it. Visitors can design and virtually launch their own rocket at the Rocket Build Interactive, feel the intensity of a Test Fire Simulation, and explore shaded outdoor courtyards inspired by Florida’s wildlife.

For a glimpse what lies ahead, Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex^® showcases the spacecraft, missions and innovations defining the next era of exploration. Guests can explore a range of modern spacecraft, interact with robotic explorers, peer into the James Webb Holotube, and board Spaceport KSC for one of four motion‑theatre “journeys” to destinations such as Mars, Saturn and the Horsehead Nebula. Thrill‑seekers can push the experience even further with the New Shepard Flight to Space simulator, the and Hyperdeck VR Mission Moon – a high‑intensity, multi‑sensory virtual reality adventure that sees four players compete with one another in a race across the lunar surface.

New for 2026 is Fraggle Rock^™: A Space-y Adventure, an original live show that brings Jim Henson’s Emmy^® Award-winning Fraggles face-to-face with NASA’s real-life space explorers.  Performed twice daily at 12.30pm and 1.45pm, in Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s Universe Theater, the production features full-body costumed “walkaround” versions of the Fraggles and puppet versions of the Doozers all crafted by the award-winning Jim Henson’s Creature Shop^™. Through laughter, music, and physical comedy, the new production blends Henson’s timeless storytelling and artistry with the awe-inspiring science of space exploration.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex also offers the closest public viewing of live rocket launches, giving guests the chance to witness real spacecraft lift-off from just a few miles away.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens daily at 9am, with closing times varying by season. Single-day admission is US$77 per adult, US$67 per child. A two-day ticket is available for US$91 per adult and US$81 per child.

For more information on Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, go to www.kennedyspacecenter.com.