2006/12/08
..... Four, Three, Two, One.... Blastoff
The Space Center is one of Houston’s big tourist draws and it is definitely worth a visit. The complex is laid out like a university as it is one ---- the land is leased to the government from Rice University. Included in your ticket price is the NASA tram tour (a visit to the historic control center, the space vehicle mockup facility, and the Saturn V Complex at Rocket Park), the Starship Gallery (a film and artifacts including a piece of moon rock you can touch), Blast Off Theatre (a film of a blast off and a mission status center that let’s you get a look at mission control and other areas of NASA) and a couple of IMAX films. It was an interesting and informative way to spend the day. Unfortunately, the shuttle launch was delayed or we may have seen some footage of the astronauts in the shuttle.
The historic "Houston mission control center".
And you think it was cold at home... -320F.. These tanks are outside of one of the buildings where tests are conducted.
The space vehicle mockup facility --- mockups identical to the real international space station which are used for training and engineering problem solving.
A mockup of the shuttle
A mockup of the Canada Arm II--- the astronauts come here to learn how to use the Canada Arm. This one is the trainer for the type 2 arm installed on the international space station.
This is a real, ready to go, Saturn V rocket left over from the Apollo program.
A prototype of the lunar rover. They were used to move astronauts while exploring the lunar surface. The rover was left on the moon at the end of the mission.
the cockpit of one of the space shuttle trainers.
The historic "Houston mission control center".
And you think it was cold at home... -320F.. These tanks are outside of one of the buildings where tests are conducted.
The space vehicle mockup facility --- mockups identical to the real international space station which are used for training and engineering problem solving.
A mockup of the shuttle
A mockup of the Canada Arm II--- the astronauts come here to learn how to use the Canada Arm. This one is the trainer for the type 2 arm installed on the international space station.
This is a real, ready to go, Saturn V rocket left over from the Apollo program.
A prototype of the lunar rover. They were used to move astronauts while exploring the lunar surface. The rover was left on the moon at the end of the mission.
the cockpit of one of the space shuttle trainers.
