AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Visiting nasa huntsville11/27/2023 We visited the historic Redstone test site and went inside the Payload Operations Integration Center, where we saw people monitoring the science experiments on board the International Space Station. The bus tour had an extremely knowledgeable guide who has been taking tourists through for years. You have the amazing history, one of 3 places in the United States you can see a Saturn V rocket, one of a dozen places to see an Apollo command module, plus unique features such as the Apollo 13 Lunar Module trainer, the Apollo 12 crew quarantine trailer and a nicely sized moon rock. I wouldn't want to do this stop without including the bus tour, and they sold out within 1 hour of opening on the Saturday in February when we visited (not exactly peak visiting time!) I paid by credit card over the phone and had zero problem picking up those reserved tickets.Ī lot of places say there is something for everyone, but that's really true, here. I HIGHLY suggest calling the phone number for the center and reserving your bus tour tickets in advance. Our 10-year-old son's favorite part was climbing the rock wall. My husband's favorite part was the afternoon tour through the Marshall Space Flight Center. This modified Gulfstream II helped shuttle pilots train on how to land the orbiter.My favorite part of the day was the guided morning tour through the Davidson Center. This makes Pathfinder the world’s only fully-stacked Space Transportation System (STS) on public display.Īccompanying the shuttle, is a T-38 Talon supersonic jet and the shuttle training aircraft NASA 945. Today, Pathfinder sits atop the External Tank for a Main Propulsion Test Article. Pathfinder returned to Huntsville following the close of the expo. They named it Pathfinder and displayed it at the Great Space Shuttle Exposition in Tokyo. Japan later bought the replica and modified it to look like a real shuttle. Instead they built a replica in the same size, shape and weight as the shuttle. They decided it wasn’t smart to use the very expensive and only orbiter to do this testing. In preparation for building Columbia, NASA wanted to test the mechanisms used in conjunction with the shuttle. Here’s the short version of how Pathfinder came to be.Īt the time of its development in 1977, Enterprise was the only shuttle in existence. Though Pathfinder is a mock shuttle made of steel and wood, it played a huge part in space history. On the other side of the outdoor area is Shuttle Park, named obviously for its centerpiece. To our surprise, General Admission includes both the Moon Shot and the G-Force Accelerator. As the ride rapidly descends, there is a short moment of weightlessness before free falling to the bottom. Be prepared to shoot 140 feet into the air in 2.5 seconds. Moon Shot is another ride at the park which you can experience 4 Gs of vertical force. While you stand against the wall, the ride spins so fast for about 4 minutes that you float up to the ceiling. Want to experience 3 Gs of force? Give the G-Force Accelerator a try. A Chinook helicopter, a mock lunar lander, tons of military artifacts, and even a yellow submarine wow visitors. Though definitely dominating, rockets are not the only historical artifacts on display outside. Army Jupiter, Juno II, and the NASA Mercury Sandstone. Other impressive rockets found in Rocket Park include the U.S. With a 100% success rate, Saturn I is the first rocket made solely for the purpose of space exploration. Taller than a 16-story building, the Saturn I rocket commands attention as you walk outside. In the back of the museum, the outdoor Rocket Park showcases 27 missiles and rockets. Alternatively, speak with any of the NASA or military retires in the white coats to hear a captivating perspective.īefore even entering the facility, an A-12 Oxcart Article 127, the CIA’s 1967 Blackshield aircraft, greets visitors by the front door. Get a sense of living in space right where the astronauts used to train.įree guided tours of the hall are available throughout the day. Want to know what firing five F-1 Saturn V engines feels like? Or, want to try docking two spacecrafts together? Even better, climb into the Command Module Training Simulator and pretend away.Īlso be sure to check out the Skylab Training Module. Interactive displays around the hall pull the curiosity of adults as much as children. Nearby, check out the 3.16 billion-year-old moon rock. Piloted by Ken Mattingly, this module was part of the fifth moon landing. In the back of the room, the Apollo 16 Command Module draws crowds. It’s interesting how they were building computing modules in a pre-microchip era. von Braun’s desk is as it was in the 60’s, with an intriguing video interviewing those who worked with him.Īnother eye-catching display compares the technology used on the Apollo missions to those of today. Displays around the hall provide insights on the space race era and of the people who worked on the space initiatives.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |