Greetings, everyone! I just got back from Texas and can’t wait to tell you all about my trip to the Houston Space Center!
If you’re not familiar with it, the Houston Space Center is a leading science and space
center in which human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are
performed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It is
one of Houston's top destinations and holds the Tripadvisor Certificate of
Excellence. Featuring more than 400 space artifacts, permanent and traveling
exhibits, and attractions, there’s plenty to see for the whole family.
SPACE CENTER EXHIBITS
I was blown away by the
Center’s Astronaut Gallery! On the walls are portraits and pictures of every
astronaut that has flown into space along with several spacesuits that I got to
see up close! I was fascinated by the spacesuit worn by Commander Charles
"Pete" Conrad, Jr., who made history for going on the second mission
to the moon on Apollo 12 with Alan
Beam and Richard Gordon. (You can even see some moon dust on it if you look at
it closely!) I also got to see the Shuttle Launch Entry Suit, which is a
partial-pressure suit worn by astronauts to protect themselves against cabin
pressure loss during ascent from and descent to Earth. Finally, I saw the
famous Orlan (“sea eagle” in
Russian), which is the only Russian spacesuit on display in the entire Center.
The suit was designed after the Kretchet Spacesuit and was originally used for
the Russians on the moon. The suit’s life support and temperature are monitored
by a control panel on the arm and there is a liquid-crystal display (LCD) panel
to provide information and supply levels.
Tour Tram Of NASA Johnson Space Center
If you get the chance to take the Tour Tram at Houston Space Center, I highly recommend it! It is a 90-minute tour and explores three major highlights: Mission Operations Control Room, Building 9, and Rocket Park.
The Mission Operations
Control Room was a major part of Apollo
11 where the world watched the historic moon landing. On July 20, 1969,
Neil Armstrong said, "Houston, the Eagle has landed" and “That’s one
small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” In this center, NASA monitored nine Gemini, and all Apollo Lunar Missions. The final lunar Apollo 17 trip to the same lunar body was also watched by this
control center.
The next part of the
tour is the famous Building 9. Since 1980, every NASA astronaut has had their
astronaut training there. This training facility has become the central hub for
resolving issues during missions. There is a LOT of preparation for space
training for the astronauts in this building housing over 200 training courses
to help astronauts become familiar with the spacecraft, as well as being
prepared for a number of emergency situations.
The last part of the
tour is Rocket Park, where only one of the three remaining Saturn V rockets is displayed. Mighty and massive, the Saturn V rocket is the tallest,
heaviest, and most powerful rocket flown. The Saturn was used to send astronauts to the moon and was flown from
1967 to 1973, which launched 27 astronauts as well as six successful missions
landing on the moon. This was the highlight for me because of how I saw a real rocket.
INDEPENDENCE PLAZA
Finally, I visited the last
exhibit, Independence Plaza. The main parts of the exhibit include the famous NASA 905, which looks like Air Force One and a space replica of the
Independence. The Independence used to be on display at
the Kennedy Space Center in Orlando, but was moved to Houston and opened to the
public in January 2016. In this landmark attraction, the public can enter both
the NASA 905 and the Independence. While on the Independence, guests can see how
astronauts piloted the orbiter during missions as well as the living conditions
on the spacecraft. The NASA 905,
which is the largest artifact from the Space Shuttle Program, gives guests an
exciting history of the shuttle program and how brilliant minds had to overcome
challenges working on the program!
All in all, Houston
Space Center is definitely something you should check out in Houston and make a
day trip out of it! It has tons of history from replicas, tour trams, and
actual rockets that were used on missions. This is an excellent educational opportunity
for families, field trips, and anyone who wants to know more about space. If you
visit next July 2019, the Center will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of
Apollo 11’s moon landing!
I'm Stephen Gaiber: The
Autistic Traveler and if you enjoyed this blog, please check out my YouTube
video on the Space Center.
