NASA

By coincidence I was visiting NASA immediately following the 25th anniversary of the Challenger explosion. That morning CNN played the entire disaster sequence -- they showed the astronauts waving as they boarded the shuttle, the countdown all the way through to the explosion, followed by the horrified reactions of the onlookers. By the time Reagan was telling the nation that the astronauts had "slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God," I was staring a the ceiling and blinking back tears.

The Space Center is mostly for kids, but the tram tour of the actual NASA facilities is really interesting. There are a lot of dull square buildings with few distinctive features, but inside you get to see Mission Control, astronaut training facilities (including a seemingly full sized fake shuttle and space station) and what they call 'Rocket Park.' Because it was the weekend they took us to see the actual Mission Control Room instead of the 'historic control room' mock-up that you see when the real room is staffed. The tour guide explained that the next mission will likely be the shuttle's last before they introduce the Orion, part of the new Ares series of flights that are designed to work towards the Mars landing.

NASA is in an all out push for Mars. At Marymount an Astronaut came to speak to the middle school girls and told them that they are the right age to make this historic flight. "When NASA is ready, you will be the perfect age to be one of the first people to travel to Mars. Study math and science and you could be on this mission," she informed them. After her talk, I was disappointed. Despite my utter lack of qualifications, I am now also too old for interplanetary travel -- bummer.

One summer while working in Oxford, I asked one of the many Rhode Scholars staffing the program what she planned to do in the future. She told me that she was heading to MIT to finish her PhD and then she hoped to work for NASA and become an astronaut. I was speechless. Here was a person who "wants to be an astronaut" and likely would do it. I googled her while I was on line for the tram tour. Sarah is currently a White House scholar and working on the NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Team. (She was clearly over qualified working as the OxBridge's book keeper.) How great is that? I really hope she makes it into space -- I can't wait to say "I knew her when..."

The tour of NASA ends in 'Rocket Park' where they have one of the unused Saturn IV rockets built in the 70's. it was never used due to cutbacks. It is enormous! Lying on it's side, it fills and entire building. I took a bunch of pictures, but it just looks like I am zooming in -- I am not.

Oddly, there is also a herd of Texas Long Horns across the road from the rockets. They were breed by school children and one of them is a prize winner worth $500,000.  (I think it's the one pictured, but really who knows?) They seemed out of place at NASA, but certainly not in Texas!

The makings of a very expensive hamburger.