Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

      Rick and I grew up during the early days and excitement of the space program.  I remember the intense competition between Russia and the U.S. - especially in the realm of space exploration.  When Russia put a man into space in 1961, I clearly remember President John F. Kennedy declaring that the U.S. would have a man on the moon before the end of the decade.  Schools put new emphasis on math and science and the U.S increased their space budget by 500%.
    It was an exciting and challenging time.  Each launch was broadcast on TV and the whole school watched.  I remember sitting with my Norwegian relatives in Oslo and watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon.  I remember the shock of watching the Challenger explode taking the lives of seven astronauts.  We relived the excitement and shock as we watched some of the same footage today at Space Center Houston.  
    Most of the exhibits were at the Visitor Center (Space Center Houston) adjacent to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center which is the NASA center for human spaceflight training, research, and ultimately, flight control.  A tram tour took us from the Visitor Center to the huge campus of the Space Center.  Our first stop was the Space Vehicle Mock-up facility used to train the astronauts.  Then we went to the Mission Control center where the communication with the astronauts and control of their space vehicles is managed.  They are currently actively working with the International Space Station and planning ahead for the Mars mission in the 2030's.  It was eerily familiar after just seeing the same Mission Control in the movie, "The Martian."
   The final stop was Rocket Park where we could see the amazing progression in size from the small earliest rocket to a huge Saturn V which is 363 feet tall.  A mock up of the Space Shuttle Independence mounted on top of the Space Carrier Aircraft is in the process of being setup to be toured.  It is just immense.
    While there is a lot of information about the history of the space program, there was also a strong sense of excitement about the future
as the U.S. partners with other countries and with businesses. We had a great day remembering the past and celebrating the future.