The Space Shuttle is a historic icon in American spaceflight. It has touched the lives of thousands of people across the country, from those who worked on it to the people who had the chance to watch it launch and land. During our younger years, we were fortunate to have a spectacular view of shuttle launches from Central Florida. One of our favorite Space Shuttle orbiters was Atlantis. 

Space Shuttle Atlantis carried out an incredible 33 flights over its lifetime. It helped to build the International Space Station and launched groundbreaking interplanetary probes like Magellan (to Venus) and Galileo (to Jupiter). This orbiter now resides at Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex in a massively dedicated building. We decided to go to KSC one day with the sole purpose of capturing this awe-inspiring vehicle. 

Upon entering the Atlantis exhibit, you first watch a show that provides viewers with a brief history of the Space Shuttle program. As the show ends, the screen is pulled up in front of you, revealing the Atlantis orbiter! The orbiter is slightly tilted on its side by approximately 43 degrees, showing off its expansive cargo bay. Jutting out from it is the Canadarm, which helped to maneuver satellites and astronauts while in orbit.

As you make your way downstairs, you can walk right underneath Atlantis and see thousands of thermal protection tiles. Each varies in hue and texture from the powerful effects of atmospheric reentry. It gives you a sense of the monumental effort required to bring this spacecraft safely home. If you ever find yourself around Cape Canaveral, we highly recommend visiting this incredible facility.