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Sneak Peek Inside the Gantry at LC-39

Published: July 7 2025 Updated: July 10 2025

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If you have ever wanted to get even closer to NASA’s launch pads, now you can. Starting July 2025, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is extending the Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour to include a new stop – and a new, one-of-a-kind experience.

The Gantry at LC-39 opens just a mere 1.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) from Launch Complex 39A and 2.25 miles (3.6 kilometers) from Launch Complex 39B, home to NASA’s Artemis missions. Featuring outdoor play areas, historic artifacts, premier launch viewing, an immersive Earth Information Center, and gantry with four floors of exploratory interactive experiences; there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

To top it off — it has some of the best sights at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. With 360° views of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and several active launch pads at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, you’ll feel closer than ever to the future of space travel and our planet.

As we open the new attraction, each week we’re going to give you an exclusive look at the experiences inside The Gantry at LC-39. Keep your sights on our blog for new exciting details.

 

Off Earth. For Earth.

An American bald eagle perched on a pine tree branch in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center.
An American bald eagle perched on a pine tree branch in front of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center.

The Gantry at LC-39 utilizes its placement inside the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and proximity to active launch pads to tell the story of NASA’s mission to protect Earth through space exploration. With each mission off our planet’s surface, we deepen our understanding of it, allowing us to better care for and improve the lives on it.

The attractions at The Gantry at LC-39 showcase these learnings. When you’re up on the gantry, looking out at the launch pads and surrounding nature preserve, you’ll see a vista into discovery — and a brighter future.

 

Initiating Test Fire

The test fire rocket engine mounted from the third floor of the gantry. When the show countdown reaches zero, it comes to life in a roar of light, sound, mist, and static vibration. Nearby, an animation test loops on outward-facing monitors.
The test fire rocket engine mounted from the third floor of the gantry. When the show countdown reaches zero, it comes to life in a roar of light, sound, mist, and static vibration. Nearby, an animation test loops on outward-facing monitors.

You may have seen rocket engines up close. You may have even seen the streak they leave in the sky. Now, here’s your chance to be under one during a test fire — and it’s perfectly safe.

Throughout the day during this fictional simulation, a NASA engineer and his A.I. assistant, Sōl, will be preparing for a static test fire at The Gantry at LC-39. The countdown is set for 30 minutes, and we learn during this time that this is no ordinary test fire: sometimes you have to push the boundaries and trust your gut.

When the countdown reaches zero, you’ll want to run to stand beneath the engine as it comes to life in an explosive burst of sound, light, and cooling mist, emulating the effects of a real static test fire. It’s a visceral, thrilling experience you won’t have anywhere else.

The Gantry at LC-39 opens July 2025, and is included in your admission ticket. Keep an eye on the Payload Blog for more updates and news.