Day 3 Space Geek Day!!!

Day 3 Rocket Park, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Our first morning in Huntsville, Alabama (aka "Rocket City") was overcast and cool...perfect for a trip to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC). After breakfast at an historic Shoney's, we found our way to I-565. In a matter of minutes we could see a rocket in the distance and knew we were heading in the right direction! The rocket, a full size replica of a Saturn V, is over 360 feet high and towers over everything in Rocket Park (see the photo above). Note: the Saturn V replica is not in the photo, it stands at the entrance of the Davidson Center for Space Exploration (see the awesome rocket below), the newest addition to the USSRC.

Day 3 Saturn V Rocket Replica, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Day 3 Shuttle Park, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Adjacent to Rocket Park is Shuttle Park where they have the only full Shuttle stack of Orbiter, External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters on display in the world. This photo does not do justice to the sheer size of the display. Here's another view with Sid in the foreground for a little perspective. (Note: Sid is holding a bag from the Space Gear Shop. We secured a cap, t-shirt and souvenir guide to proclaim our official status as Space Geeks!)

Day 3 Shuttle Park & Sid, originally uploaded by Gail S.

Day 3 Shuttle for Kids, originally uploaded by Gail S.

This little shuttle replica was located in the Energy Depletion Zone, a cute play area for children under age 9. What a perfect idea for families with kids of all ages!

Day 3 Saturn V, originally uploaded by Gail S.

The pride of the USSRC, however, is the awesome Saturn V. The center has one of the remaining three production versions (others are at Kennedy Space Center and the Johnson Space Center). This one was used at the Saturn facilities in Huntsville for dynamic testing. This Saturn V is so important it is a National Heritage Monument and has been the focus of a restoration project since 2005.

At the beginning of the Saturn V Restoration Project, USSRC officials initially thought the corrosion on the rocket was due to sitting outdoors for more than 30 years. While the weather probably did accelerate the deterioration, the primary cause was wildlife - birds and raccoons that built nests inside the Saturn V and, in so doing, changed the PH and created chemical reactions that literally turned isolated sections of the rocket into latticework.

Conservation Solutions, Inc., the company in charge of the preservation treatment for both the Saturn V rockets at Johnson Space Center and here in Huntsville, finished repairs on the damaged sections and painted the Huntsville rocket in December 2006. They returned in October 2007 to do the final painting and to apply the custom made decals.

Now the Saturn V has a new home in the most recent addition to the facility, the Davidson Center for Space Exploration, a 68,200-square-foot building that houses the restored Saturn V rocket. Opened in January 2008, the Davidson Center has become the new front door for the USSRC museum complex. This grand opening celebration was held in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of the launch of Explorer I - the satellite that put America in the space race.

Fundraising efforts for this addition continue. While we were visiting, there were lots of people setting up tables for a banquet to be held this evening. This space is available for corporate events, receptions and even weddings! There are lots of plans for interactive displays around the floor of this building.

Day 3 The Brains of the Saturn V Rocket, originally uploaded by Gail S.

While in the main museum building, Sid found this display that he described as a stargate. Later, we saw it in place in the Davidson Center as the Instrument Ring of the Saturn V...so disappointed that we couldn't leap through it into a place where no man has gone before.

Needless to say, the USSRC is a wonderful place filled with thousands of displays depicting the history of space exploration and, particularly, the role played by the folks in Huntsville, Alabama, at the Marshall Space Flight Center. Put this one down as a "must see" for anyone with even the mildest interest in science and space.

Day 3 Instrument Ring of the Saturn V Rocket, originally uploaded by Gail S.