SpaceX Launch Viewing Area at Kennedy Space Center

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is offering once again an exclusive “front row seat” to view the December 19, 2014 SpaceX Falcon 9 launch, which is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. ET. Launch viewing is available at the LC-39 Observation Gantry, located within the secured areas of Kennedy Space Center and just over three miles away from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where the Falcon 9 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40.

Launch viewing from the LC-39 Observation Gantry offers a premium, up-close view of the rocket on the launch pad and during lift off, and features lawn and bleacher seating, live mission commentary and the opportunity to meet space shuttle astronaut Mike McCulley. The launch viewing package includes launch transportation, a light lunch and a space-themed T-shirt.

Bus boarding from the Visitor Complex to the LC-39 Observation Gantry begins at 11 a.m. A limited number of launch viewing tickets are available and may be purchased for $49 plus tax, in addition to admission, by calling 855-475-8415. Daily admission to the Visitor Complex is $50 plus tax for adults and $40 plus tax for children ages 3-11.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 will carry the Dragon capsule to deliver cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). This is the fifth resupply mission by SpaceX for NASA, bringing food and supplies, including new science experiments and technology research, to the crew aboard the ISS.

The payload includes the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System, or CATS, a laser instrument designed to measure clouds and the location and distribution of pollution, dust, smoke and other particles in the atmosphere. The unique orbit of CATS allows it to observe the same area of Earth several times a day. By providing real time data, CATS improves detection of wildfires and forecasts of air quality and volcanic plumes.

Launch viewing also will be available from the lawn of Space Shuttle Atlantis located in the main Visitor Complex. Admission tickets may be purchased at www.KennedySpaceCenter.com or by calling 877-313-2610. Launch date, time and viewing locations are subject to change.