NASA Johnson Space Center

I’ve live only a few miles away from JSC all my life! I’m a HUGE supporter of the space program!!! :D

so so, go if you’ve never been but one time will probably cut it. As much as space exploration changes each year…the exhibits don’t!

Oh my God! The sweet cream filled pretzels that they sell there are AMAZING!

I had an opportunity to duck out of my conference around 2:45 pm to Space Center Houston, the official visitor center of JSC.

Admission was discounted to $14.95 because they were closing at 5pm. The tram tour, another extra cost item, had already made its last departure for the day. Thus, I was confined to the main facility, much of which is targeted at kids (giant play area, hands-on exhibits) and souvenir buying (two stores plus a cafe). Luckily, it was uncrowded.

I liked the astronaut suit exhibit, showing the evolution of the technology through the years, but the shuttle “Adventure” was disappointingly plexiglassed off. (The technology looks 1970s.)

To me, the most interesting part was the computer simulation of building a mission to Mars. I’m a sucker for that sort of thing, playing it for a half hour until the mission was successful.

The main exhibit “hall” (for lack of a better word) is not worth making a special trip to. Because I had gone spur-of-the-moment, the Level 9 Tour was well-sold out. It’s a pricey option, but would seem to provide a more intimate experience.

I’ll be presenting at a work-related conference in October. During lunch. Hoo-boy.

Was July, 1984 when I went to work for NASA there…

I got my favorite cap from Johnson. Me and my girlfriend drove up with my family, everybody had their own reason for going. My girlfriend wanted to visit her bff and my sister wanted to visit her friend and my older sister and her husband were going to a wedding and I was there to get closer to space. It smells strange in the artifact museum. Like the chemical decay of the fifties, it made me lightheaded. I felt too old to be there, but the saturn rocket was huge and I didnt expect it to be so huge so it made me feel small. There are oak trees planted there for every astronaut who has died.

Yes, it’s true! My son was born at St. John’s Hospital across the street from NASA. A couple of times when I went for checkups, we would go to NASA. It’s great fun, esp. for kids and even big kids. I have pics in storage…will try to scan and download to give you guys an idea of what is there!
On one visit to the hospital, they were trying to draw blood and couldn’t get a vein. My husband at the time, kept me updated on a Blue Angels’ show going on over NASA. I’m glad he could enjoy it…NOT!
I want to take my son someday-to see NASA and the place where he was born!

kinda interesting, but otherwise it’s boring. I’d rather go to the Museum of Natural Sciences if I wanted to go somewhere fun AND informative.

Astronaut ice cream!