How space inspires technological, cultural and social progress. Of course it’s all about the rockets, but good to have light shed on the background mechanics.
Discovered what it takes to travel to Mars, what hardware will get Americans to the fourth planet in our solar system and how humans may live on the red planet in the next few decades in their new interactive exhibit, Mission Mars.The International Space Station Gallery at Space Center Houston provides a dynamic look inside the space station – from interactive live shows to a Robonaut and even actual flown space station artifacts.At the astronaut encounter, getting to hear about assembling the International Space Station from an actual astronaut.One giant leap for mankind …NASA used the colossal Saturn V rockets primarily during the Apollo program to send Americans to the Moon. There are only three Saturn V rockets on display in the world. The rocket at NASA Johnson Space Center is the only one comprised of all flight-certified hardware.The Skylab 1-G Trainer. America’s first space station was huge. It was so big that the actual trainer used by astronauts to prepare for life aboard Skylab couldn’t be brought into Space Center Houston. Space Center Houston had to be built around the trainer.Went inside the shuttle replica Independence, mounted on top of the historic and original NASA 905 shuttle carrier aircraft, and explored the giant plane.It is the world’s only shuttle mounted on an SCA and the only one allowing the public to enter both.Cockpit of the Independence.One of the original space suits.This full size docking module was used as a training device by the Soviet and American Apollo-Soyuz crews at the Johnson Space Center.Starship Gallery at Space Center Houston is home to multiple flown spacecraft and national treasures. Got an up-close look at some of the most amazing artifacts that trace the progression of human space exploration – the Apollo 17 Command Module, a full-size Skylab Training module, a Moon rock you can touch and more!Though humans can theoretically walk or run nearly as fast on the Moon as on Earth, bulky spacesuits made movement awkward for the Apollo astronauts on the lunar surface. The Lunar Roving Vehicle Trainer helped prepare astronauts for their trip.So, who said they were not on the moon? Here’s an actual picture! ;)Mercury 9 (Faith 7) Mission – Unlike the later Gemini and Apollo missions, each Mercury mission bore the number 7 to honor the teamwork and collaboration of the first seven astronauts in American history.Gemini V – In the middle of the Cold War, one mission not only put the U.S. space program back in front of Russia. It also boosted NASA to the Moon. And with other space exploration ventures booming at the moment we surely won’t stop there!
