This one was on my bucket list for quite some time now. I missed visiting the Houston Space Center during my first stay at Houston and didn't have time to pass by during my second visit. However, as the proverb goes: all good things go by three. On that saturday, our flight was leaving in the afternoon. A perfect opportunity to spend the saturday morning at the Space Center Houston, or the NASA's Johnson Space Center.
On of the reasons why I hesitated to visit the place during my first visit is that I read online at various travel advising sites that the place is mainly a medium sized amusement place meant to be for families with smaller kids. As this is mostly correct for the main building, which offers some some playgrounds (featuring Angry Birds Space!) and some educational booths, there is also the option to visit 2 other areas: the mission control room and the rocket park.
In order to do so, one has to take part in a guided tour that takes the participants to both areas. First, you pass by the rocket park, where a full sized Saturn V rocket is on display. Then, the first real station is the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center.
From the outside, it looks rather unspectacular. Together with the group, one gets to see the newly designed mission control room central for the planned Orion missions, which aim to bring mankind to the Mars (and back). Sadly, the old mission control room for the Apollo missions cannot be visited anymore, as it was replaced by the newer one. To be honest, with everybody having a flatscreen display and modern computers at home, this new mission control center doesn't look as sophisticated and jaw dropping as the old one might have looked 40-50 years ago.
The whole room was completely empty and we were only allowed to get a glimpse behind a glass wall. Simultaneously, someone from the staff would educate us about the new NASA plans and the Orion Mars missions.
The only real action was seen through the screens located in each corner of the showroom. They were basically a live feed of people communicating with those on the International Space Station (ISS). The room on display was also in the same building, we were told.
Outside, there was nothing much interesting. Mainly huge halls and large parking lots.
Apart from the mission control center, the only other noteworthy thing at the Space Center Houston is the aforementioned Rocket Park. It is basically a huge warehouse containing a Saturn V rocket. And huge it is.
Everybody who watched the videos of how the Americans launch rockets knows that these things are gigantic. However, seeing them in person is even more astonishing. To think that all these parts are needed to overcome the earth's gravitation and shoot something comparably tiny into the orbit is really fascinating.
At the side, all moon missions are on display including the participants, some background story and pictures.
Back into the main hall, most of the things that one can visit there is for kids and not really that interesting. It looks more like a small theme park to me.
When we left the area, we passed by the same parking lot where the space shuttle is on display (see first picture in this post). This time, however, there were 5 sports car posing in front of it. Thought it as worth a picture. :)
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