By Peter Covino
Lifestyles Editor

It is a view just about every American in the 1960s got to know very well from their TV screen: The Kennedy Space Center Launch Control Center.

More than 150 launches, from the first moon mission of the Apollo program to those of the space shuttle, the Launch Control Center (LCC) was that all-important place where the launch control director would ultimately decide whether a launch was a “go” or “no go.”

Now, for the first time in more than 30 years, NASA is allowing Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex guests access to the center, where NASA directors and engineers  supervised all 152 of those launches.

The new tour is the second special tour scheduled for the year as the space center celebrates its 50th anniversary. NASA recently began conducting tours of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), that famous 525-foot tall icon where the Apollo V rockets and the space shuttles were assembled for launch.

The tour actually takes you inside Firing Room 4, one of the LCC’s four firing rooms and the one which all 21 space shuttles since 2006 were controlled.

You can feel the history inside the place, from the large countdown clock that dominates the front of the room,  to the “bubble room” where the Space Center management team got a birds-eye view of all of the engineer stations down below. The room also boasts large windows for a direct view of Launch Complex 39, where all of the shuttles and Saturn V rockets were launched.

“This is another very rare opportunity that NASA has worked with us to provide access to the Launch Control Center,” said Bill Moore, chief operating officer of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. “It might be another 30 years before guests will receive a behind-the-scenes opportunity like this again.”

In addition to the control center, the tour includes the center lobby, which features 153 wall plaques, one for every mission guided tour there since the first, the unmanned Apollo 4 in 1967.

The LCC is also listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and won an architectural award for industrial design from the American Institute of Architecture in 1965.

Space for the tours is very limited at this point. Additional tours will be added in the coming weeks. The LCC Tour is led by a trained space expert, giving visitors an insider’s view of the space program from launch preparation to liftoff. The tour also includes drive-by views of Launch Pad 39 and culminates at the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where visitors can resume the regular tour.

Price for tour is $25 for adults and $19 for children ages 3-11 plus tax, in addition to admission to the center.

Visitors also can take advantage of the limited time tour of the VAB. One of the largest buildings by volume on the planet, the VAB’s interior has only been seen by a select few, including astronauts and NASA officials.

This new tour gives guests the opportunity to look inside the massive building. The tour is part of the KSC Up-Close, a two-hour guided special interest tour. The tour will be offered eight times daily for $25 for adults and $19 for children ages 3-11. Cost of admission to the Kennedy Space Center is in addition to the tour.

Even though the space shuttle program has ended it will be a big year at the center with the 50th anniversary tours and events. The complex will also be the home of the space shuttle Atlantis. That multi-million dollar exhibit is expected to open in July 2013.

In celebration of 50 years, the visitor complex has two special offers that can save up to 30 percent on admission, food and merchandise, as well as secure access to view rocket launches. Details of the 50th Gold Admission Package and a $50 annual pass are at www.kennedyspacecenter.com.

Regular admission to the complex is $45 for adults and $35 for children ages 3-11.  Admission includes the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, the Shuttle Launch Experience, 3D IMAX space films, Astronaut Encounter, Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted and all exhibits. Parking, wheelchairs, strollers  and pet kennels are free of charge.

A list of upcoming launches at the space center is available at www.kennedyspacecenter.com as well.

The current list includes June 28, Delta 4 Heavy launch; Aug. 18, Space X Falcon 9/Dragon C3 launch; Aug. 30, Atlas 5 launch: Radiation Belt Storm Probes; and Sept. 20, Delta 4 Heavy launch: GPS 2F-3.