Itinerary Farewell Space Shuttle Tour STS-133 (Discovery)

Day One 29.10.2010: Flight to Washington, DC
At Frankfurt Airport you will be greeted by Mr. Bergweiler (SPACE TRAVELLERS). He will accompany you during your trip and will standing by as your special space specialist during the complete tour. We start our first destination: Washington, DC.

Our local tour guide greets us at the airport and bring us to the hotel. After checking in, we will have a meeting at the hotel bar to have a welcome drink.

Then we start our sightseeing tour with a German speaking guide. We see e.g. the Vietnam Wall, Lincoln Memorial, the obelisk and the White House. After return at the hotel the evening is up to your own or for leisure. Overnight at Hyatt Place Chantilly.

The Hyatt Place in Chantilly is located about five miles from the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center, the big sister complex of the National Air & Space Museum near Dulles Airport. Initiated in 2003, the museum displays the Space Shuttle Enterprise in the original size in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar!
(Optional: It is decided locally whether a visit is possible in time.)

Day Two 30.10.2010: Washington DC - Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum
After breakfast, we come together in the hotel lobby to visit the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. Here we learn all about the air and space history.

Special highlights of the museum "Exploring the Planets: Exploration of our solar system and universe. "The Space Race": History of the American and Russian space program. "Lunar Exploration": What were the missions to do research of using satellites of the moon? "Rocketry and Space Flight": We see the replica of Jules Verne spaceship, visit the various space suits and the first rocket engines.

After a full day experience, we return late afternoon to the hotel and meet in the hotel bar for a little experience. The evening is at leisure. Overnight at Hyatt Place Chantilly

Day Three  31.10.2010: Washington, DC - Orlando, FL
After breakfast we transfer to the airport. We fly to Orlando, Florida. There we are already expected and brought by bus to the hotel. After checking in we meet in the lobby. The program features a multimedia presentation on the shuttle mission. The rest of the day is at leisure. Overnight at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, Orlando.

Day Four 01.11.2010: Shuttle launch day (Mission STS133)
The highlight of your trip is now on the agenda: The launch of the space shuttle!

We will drive to the special view points on NASA'S Cause-Way with five miles in distance. We will follow the launch preparations, hear live the communication between the shuttle crew and the mission control centre. Our space expert will tell you every moment of the final stage before the lift off, before the Space Shuttle will thunder in the sky, and the crew begins their 9-11 day mission.

After the launch takes place (time dependent) either the return trip to the hotel, or we visit briefly the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The evening is for your leisure. Overnight at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, Orlando

Day Five 02.11.2010: Close up Kennedy Space Center
Today after breakfast, we drive to the Kennedy Space Center. The NASA "Close Up Tour" is on the agenda: We see the largest assembly building in the world, the Vehicle Assembley Building - the huge rocket-crawler, where in the 60s and 70s, the massive 111m high Saturn V rocket, and today the space shuttle is transported to the launch pads.

Historical launch platforms of the Gemini and Mercury rockets are on the same program as the runway, put on the shuttle missions after their return to earth.

We enjoy a panoramic view from the Observation Gantry, a refurbished launch platform for visitors. The absolute highlight will be like the Apollo-Saturn V Center, we experience the last three minutes of the launch of Apollo 8 in a multimedia show, before we can enjoy a real original 111 meters long Saturn V rocket in detail. By late afternoon we return to the hotel. The evening is for leisure. Overnight stay at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, Orlando

Day Six 03.11.2010: Titusville
After breakfast at the hotel we drive today to the town of Titusville to visit "Hall of Fame of stronautics". Titusville is the so-called "astronauts city" in which  since the 60's astronauts lived.

Accompanied by an expert we go on a short tour. We see, inter alia, the John Glenn Memorial, dedicated to the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. After the tour, we have time for own explorations. The city is ideal for a stroll and shopping.

By late afternoon we return to the hotel. The evening is for leisure. Overnight at the Fairfield Inn & Suites, Orlando

Day Seven 04.11.2010: FL - Houston, TX
Around noon we fly from Orlando to Houston, the next point of interest of our journey. Upon arrival, we are driving with the bus directly to 'Boeing Technologies `, also known as the 'Sunny Carter Building'.

Neutral buoyancy is here close to us: Here, in a big underwater tank, astronauts train the feeling of weightlessness in space and to perform their EVA's (Extra Vehicular Activity).

See this in the Sunny F. Carter Building water tank, next to the Space Shuttle Flight Simulator, where astronauts train to fly the shuttle. Under water are different mission modules, and utensils, usually 1:1 models of the respective mission objectives, such as modules of the International Space Station.

After this visit we will drive to the Hotel La Quinta Seabrook, where the next two nights are reserved for us. The La Quinta Inn in Seabrook is conveniently located between the Space Center and the Kemah Boardwalk. The evening is for leisure. Overnight at the La Quinta Inn, Houston Seabrook

Day Eight 05.11.2010: Johnson Space Center
Today we take the last step on our "journey into space": we visit the Johnson Space Center, the heart of American spaceflight. In addition to many attractions such as for example the full replica of the Skylab laboratory from the 70s, by which we can go through it, and many other interesting things about space travel, we have a unique opportunity, to get personal contact with the moon!

We visit the I-Max 3D cinema to see special movies what astronauts done during their missions in space with special I-MAX cameras.

After this exciting day we go to Kemah, the entertainment district of Houston, at the Gulf of Mexico. The culmination of a fantastic and eventful journey will be our common Farewell Dinner. Overnight at the La Quinta Inn, Houston Seabrook

Day Nine 06.11.2010: Departure to Germany/Frankfurt
Today we say farewell. After breakfast we transfer to the airport and fly back via Washington back to Frankfurt/Germany.

Day Ten 07.11.2010: Frankfurt
Arrival in Frankfurt. An incredible journey is over.

Notes

If the shuttle launch postponed by one day, the programs of 4 days, 5 & 6 are swapped.
If the start will be scrubbed completely, an alternative program will be available. Registration deadline for this tour is August 15th, 2010

Rates and Services: Price per person starting € 3,490.- (single room supplement € 850,-)

Participants: min.10

STS-133 Mission 'Discovery' (Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4), a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MLPM) and critical spare components): LiftOff not earlier as November 1st, 2010.  

STS-134 Mission 'Endeavor' EXPRESS Logistics Carrier-3 (ELC-3) and an Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS): LiftOff not earlier as February 26th, 2011 (tbd) (This would be, as for the moment, the last Space Shuttle flight in history!)

Scheduled flights with United Airlines
Frankfurt-Washington-Orlando-Frankfurt-Houston
Economy Class, including all taxes and fees

Washington, D. C.
All transportation by bus or van
German speaking local guide
All sightseeing and entrance fees per program
Nights per program

Orlando, Florida
All transportation by bus or van
German-speaking local guide
All sightseeing and entrance fees per program
(Special seats for the Shuttle launch, if possible)
Nights per program

Houston, Texas
All transportation by bus or van
German-speaking local guide
All sightseeing and entrance fees per program
Nights per program
Farewelldinner

Not included
Airport Arrival & Departure Frankfurt (we can help you with the complete arrangement)
Travel insurance
Meals (except breakfast)
Tips
Expenditure of a personal nature
Admission to the Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center

Travel initiative: Space Travellers
Travel Processing: Earthways.de, Waldesch
Organizer: AAR Anglo-American Travel Agency Ltd., Westerkappeln