Sneak Peek: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to open new stop, The Gantry at LC-39
Situated just a mere mile from NASA's Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A, The Gantry at LC-39 is the latest attraction to drop at the Visitor Complex. Part of the bus tour, which is included with admission, guests will be treated to a view of the launch pad looming in the distance as they approach the new stop.
Visitors can choose to stay on the bus to proceed to the Apollo Saturn V Center or they can exit at the new stop, which also offers an immersive rocket experience.
"You get to learn about engineering. You get to build a rocket. You get to learn what it takes for different types of missions − which engines to pick, how much fuel to pick, and payload capacity you need in order to make that launch successful," said Chief Operating Officer of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Therrin Protze.
Those who chose to exit the bus will be greeted by a four-story structure, which features a huge rocket engine that "ignites" as guest stand underneath to feel the rumble. Not to worry: it simply lights up and sprays steam at a refreshing 62 degrees.
Guests can climb the stairs of the gantry and take in informational features, as well as views of the sounding launch pads. Binoculars are available to provide a closer look of Launch Complex 39A, which saw astronauts launch on a journey to the moon and continues to see astronauts take off to this day.
Of course, the rising SpaceX Starship tower is also visible. Starship is anticipated to launch − and return to − the site in the coming years.
As guests climb to the top floor, they are greeted by an air-conditioned room which houses an interactive exhibit. This includes a game where guests can engineer their own rocket − right down to the rocket paint color of their choosing. Once choices are made, the rocket launches on the screen above them, and the success stats of the mission are provided.
The experience is guided by the friendly voice of an artificial intelligence system named Sol.
There is a cool hidden history aspect. The seats in this interactive room are made from the pistons of a launch crawler's engines -- the actual launch crawler that carried NASA rockets to the launch pad.
When is the next launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral
Off to the side is a brand new launch viewing area with bleachers and a large screen. Guests will be able to pay for viewings of launches from Launch Complex 40 and 41. Details of the pricing are unknown at this time.
Due to the close proximity to Launch Complex 39A, the attraction will not be available during launches from there.
There is also a nearby Earth Information Center, which offers guests a short film on NASA Earth Science.
Currently, the bus stop is in preview mode, but is set to open to the public shortly. A grand opening date has not yet been announced.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Early Look: KSC Visitor Complex's new bus tour stop, The Gantry at LC-39
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pixalate's July 2025 Canada Publisher Rankings for Websites, Mobile and CTV Apps: ‘TextNow: Call + Text Unlimited', ‘bbc.com', and ‘The Roku Channel' Among Top-Ranked for Open Programmatic Ad Traffic Quality
According to Pixalate's July 2025 rankings, 'Vita MahJong' (Apple App Store) and 'TextNow: Call + Text Unlimited' (Google Play Store) ranked No. 1 among mobile apps; 'Pluto TV' (Amazon Fire TV), 'The Roku Channel' (Roku), 'Xumo Play' (Samsung Smart TV), and 'Fubo: Watch Live TV & Sports' (Apple TV) were top-ranked CTV apps; ranked as No. 1 website for programmatic ad quality in Canada London, Aug. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pixalate, the leading ad fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics platform, has released the July 2025 Publisher Trust Index (PTI) for Canada. This index evaluates websites, mobile apps across the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and Connected TV (CTV) apps on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Samsung Smart TV. The Publisher Trust Indexes represent a comprehensive approach to quality measurement and provide monthly rankings of the world's websites and apps, offering unprecedented transparency to the open programmatic advertising ecosystem. In addition to the report for Canada, Pixalate has also released Publisher Trust Indexes for Brazil, the United States (U.S.), the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Japan. Canada Web PTI Rankings (July 2025) Canada Mobile PTI Rankings (July 2025) Apple App Store Vita MahJong Solitaire by Mobility Ware Bus Escape: Traffic Jam Google Play Store TextNow: Call + Text Unlimited Kijiji: Buy and sell local Hit & Run: Solo Leveling Canada Connected TV PTI Rankings (July 2025)Roku The Roku Channel - Food Recipes and Cooking Shows Tubi Samsung Smart TV Xumo Play Fubo: Watch Live Bloomberg Amazon Fire TV Pluto TV Lifetime Fubo: Watch Live TV & Sports Apple TV Fubo: Watch Live TV & Sports Food Network GO - Live TV Bloomberg Business News Daily Pixalate's data science team analyzed over 34 billion global open programmatic ad impressions across 15+ million Google Play Store and Apple App Store mobile apps, and Connected TV (CTV) apps across Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Apple TV app stores in July 2025 to compile the global Publisher Trust Indexes. Pixalate uses its proprietary algorithms to measure quality metrics, including invalid traffic (IVT or ad fraud), Made For Advertising (MFA) risk, brand safety, ad density, viewability, reach, and more. The Publisher Trust Index spans rankings for 235+ countries across all four global regions: North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM, and provides breakdowns by 20+ different IAB taxonomy website categories. Pixalate's methodology can be found at Publisher Trust Index: Methodology. Download the Publisher Trust Index Reports Netherlands Canada Brazil U.S. UK Germany Spain Japan About Pixalate Pixalate is a global platform specializing in privacy compliance, ad fraud prevention, and digital ad supply chain data intelligence. Founded in 2012, Pixalate is trusted by regulators, data researchers, advertisers, publishers, ad tech platforms, and financial analysts across the Connected TV (CTV), mobile app, and website ecosystems. Pixalate is accredited by the MRC for the detection and filtration of Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT). July 2025 Canada Publisher Trust Index (PTI) reflects Pixalate's opinions with respect to factors that Pixalate believes may be useful to the digital media industry. Our reports and indexes examine programmatic advertising activity on mobile apps, website domains and Connected TV (CTV) apps. Any insights shared are grounded in Pixalate's proprietary technology and analytics, which Pixalate is continuously evaluating and updating. Any references to outside sources in the Indexes and herein should not be construed as endorsements. Pixalate's opinions are just that, opinions, which means that they are neither facts nor guarantees. This report is not intended to impugn the standing or reputation of any person, entity or app but, instead, to report findings and trends pertaining to the time period studied. Per the MRC, ''Fraud' is not intended to represent fraud as defined in various laws, statutes and ordinances or as conventionally used in U.S. Courts or other legal proceedings, but rather a custom definition strictly for advertising measurement purposes. Also per the MRC, ''Invalid Traffic' is defined generally as traffic that does not meet certain ad serving quality or completeness criteria, or otherwise does not represent legitimate ad traffic that should be included in measurement counts. Among the reasons why ad traffic July be deemed invalid is it is a result of non-human traffic (spiders, bots, etc.), or activity designed to produce fraudulent traffic.'CONTACT: Nina Talcott ntalcott@
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
AOL ends its dial-up service, an early internet relic still used in some remote areas
AOL is discontinuing its dial-up service, which helped millions of households connect to the web during the internet's formative years and was instantly recognizable for its beep-laden, scratch-heavy ring tone in the 1990s and early 2000s. The company, which once dominated as the world's largest internet provider, confirmed the move to CBC News on Sunday, saying it would discontinue dial-up as a subscription option on Sept. 30 "as we innovate to meet the needs of today's digital landscape." Dial-up services were a mainstay of the early internet — as famously depicted in the 1998 romantic comedy You've Got Mail — and involved using a phone line to connect devices to the web. Those of a certain age will recall that this meant choosing between your landline and your internet access. The company, which offered the service to customers in Canada and the U.S., didn't offer details about its existing dial-up clients. With much-speedier broadband internet access now the standard for web connection in North America, the end of dial-up service raises the question of who was still using it. "There are many parts of rural Canada that still do not have reliable access or any access to high-speed internet connectivity. And for them, dial-up is their only alternative," said technology analyst Carmi Levy in an interview with CBC News. "There are a number of regional or local players across the country that still provide low-cost dial-up access. The problem here is that the base, the internet as we know it, is no longer built for dial-up access. And so it's a technology that time really has passed by," Levy said. According to a CRTC report published earlier this year, 95 per cent of Canadians have access to high-speed internet. But broadband coverage in the country's three territories, as well as in rural areas and on First Nations reserves, is still catching up with the rest of Canada. CBC News reached out to the CRTC to ask how many Canadians are still making use of dial-up services, which falls under the "fixed internet" umbrella that the regulator tracks. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that about 163,000 households were using dial-up exclusively for internet service in 2023. "This isn't gonna affect a lot of people, but if you're one of those people who simply never transitioned off, it's pretty seismic," added Levy. "It means that at the end of September, you're losing the only access to the internet that you've ever known." Canada's major telecoms are scaling up fibre-optic networks for internet connectivity because they're capable of transferring data at high speeds and tend to be cost-effective. Satellite services — including SpaceX's Starlink — are also sometimes used for high-speed internet in rural and remote areas. Dana Ditomaso, a technology analyst in Victoria, B.C., noted that satellite coverage isn't always reliable or fulsome in less populated areas. "Especially if it's mountainous or there's a lot of trees, even satellite internet isn't going to work all that well because you need a clear line to the satellite," she noted. That's where the gap filled by dial-up services might exist — but Ditomaso doesn't expect any nostalgia-fuelled revival of the technology. "It's not gonna be like vinyl records, and people are like, 'I really want that dial-up experience,' you know?" she said. "It's people who have to have dial-up, not because they want to have dial-up." Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dear Rigetti Computing Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for August 12
Rigetti Computing (RGTI) enthusiasts should circle August 12 on their calendars, as that's when the company is scheduled to release its Q2 2025 earnings after the market closes. With analysts anticipating a nearly 30% narrowing of losses, all eyes are on whether Rigetti can deliver on improving fundamentals. Investors will be watching closely for updates on its progress in scaling quantum systems, advancing partnerships, and moving toward commercial viability. In an industry defined by rapid innovation and high volatility, any new details on Rigetti's roadmap, revenue trajectory, or technological milestones could drive notable market moves. More News from Barchart 'It Will Be the Biggest Product Ever': Elon Musk Says Tesla's Optimus Robots Will Be Bigger Than Even Robotaxi Dear Archer Aviation Stock Fans, Mark Your Calendars for August 11 This Hidden-Gem AI Stock Has a Major Catalyst Coming on August 11 Tired of missing midday reversals? The FREE Barchart Brief newsletter keeps you in the know. Sign up now! About Rigetti Stock Rigetti Computing, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Berkeley, California, is a leading developer of full-stack quantum computing solutions. It designs, manufactures, and deploys superconducting quantum processors and supporting software platforms like Forest and Quantum Cloud Services. The company carries a market cap of nearly $5 billion, reflecting growing investor interest in its potential. Rigetti Computing's stock has experienced a notable rally recently, reflecting renewed investor optimism in quantum technology. Over the past month, its gain stands at 31.5%. A standout event contributing to this upward trend occurred in mid-July, when Rigetti's stock surged 30.2% in a single day of trading on July 16, following the announcement of a critical technical breakthrough, achieving 99.5% two-qubit gate fidelity. Meanwhile, analysts have become increasingly optimistic, which has helped shift investor sentiment considerably. In fact, the company has delivered an extraordinary 1,926% return over the year, vastly outperforming broader benchmarks such as the S&P 500 Index ($SPX), which has risen 19.4% in the same period. Rigetti Secured a String of High-Profile Awards in Q1 Rigetti Computing's Q1 2025 financial report, released on May 12, paints a picture of a company balancing operational challenges with strategic and technological advances. For the quarter ended March 31, revenues totaled just $1.5 million, down markedly from the prior-year quarter's $3.1 million, while operating expenses climbed to $22.1 million, resulting in an operating loss of $21.6 million. Despite this, a net income of $42.6 million was recorded, driven almost entirely by $62.1 million in non-cash gains stemming from derivative warrant and earn-out liability revaluations, a significant turnaround from the losses in the year-ago quarter. Rigetti reported EPS of $0.13, a notable improvement from the loss of $0.14 per share in Q1 2024. Rigetti simultaneously secured a string of high-profile awards and collaborations that underscore its commitment to advancing quantum computing. The company entered Stage A of DARPA's Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, a performance-based contract worth up to $1 million, centered on its utility-scale quantum computer concept developed with partner Riverlane. An additional award worth $5.48 million was granted to lead a consortium exploring the Alternating-Bias Assisted Annealing (ABAA) chip fabrication technique aimed at improving the microscopic quality of superconducting qubits. Across the pond, Rigetti won three Innovate UK Quantum Missions pilot awards, funding projects such as upgrading its NQCC-hosted QPU from 24 to 36 qubits, integrating chip-based controls with its 9-qubit Novera QPU in partnership with SEEQC, and developing a shared open-architecture quantum testbed with collaborators like TreQ, Qruise, Q-CTRL, and Oxford Ionics. In terms of capital strength, the company ended Q1 with $209.1 million in cash, cash equivalents and available-for-sale investments, which grew to $237.7 million by April 30 following the closing of the share purchase by Quanta Computer. Rigetti Fans, Mark Your Calendars for August 12 Leading into its Aug. 12 earnings release, analysts anticipate that Rigetti will report a narrower loss per share of $0.05, compared to a Q2 2024 loss of around $0.07 per share, which is a 28.6% improvement. On the revenue front, projections indicate a decline of 39.3% year-over-year (YoY), with expected revenue around $1.87 million. Meanwhile, analysts anticipate loss per share to improve 30.6% YoY to $0.25 in fiscal 2025, before improving by another 16% to reach $0.21 in fiscal 2026. Regarding the broader 2025 roadmap, Rigetti has laid out some forward-looking technical milestones. Management highlighted plans to scale its quantum systems, targeting a 36-qubit processor by mid-2025 and surpassing 100 qubits by year-end, along with achieving 99.5% to 99.7% two-qubit gate fidelity and gate speeds under 10 nanoseconds. What Do Analysts Expect for Rigetti Stock? Rigetti's stock has seen a wave of bullish upgrades in recent weeks. The most notable came on Aug. 4, when Needham analyst Quinn Bolton raised his price target from $15 to $18 and reaffirmed a 'Buy' rating, citing surging momentum in the quantum computing industry, boosted by initiatives like DARPA's Quantum Benchmark Initiative and Congressional progress on the Department of Energy Quantum Leadership Act of 2025. Just a couple of weeks earlier, on July 23, B. Riley also increased its price target, lifting it to $19 (from $15) while maintaining a 'Buy' stance. Wall Street is majorly bullish on RGTI. Overall, RGTI has a consensus 'Strong Buy' rating. Of the six analysts covering the stock, five advise a 'Strong Buy,' and one suggests a 'Moderate Buy.' The average analyst price target for RGTI is $16.33, marginal potential upside. B. Riley's Street-high target price of $19 suggests that the stock could rally as much as 19%. On the date of publication, Subhasree Kar did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
