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There are a large variety of places to visit in the large state of Texas, each with their own landscapes, towns people, and historic past. From prairies in the Northwest, down to the ocean sprawl of bay area near Kemah, Texas there are many fun and interesting places to enjoy and spend time exploring. With so many options, it can make your head spin like the Earth on its axis. If you enjoy space and science however, there is one destination that will have you interested and excited the whole way through. Here are 5 surprising things to see at Space Center Houston. 1. The Space Center Complex The entire complex is a site to see all in itself. With 100 buildings containing tourist centers, astronaut training, research, ground control, and more, it is no wonder the complex employs over 3, 200 workers and over 100 actual astronauts. Plenty of tourist flock to this destination when they come visit Texas and many more visit to get advised on various matters of science including space exploration, atmospheric data, and consultations for the entertainment industry when movie studios want to get the details right and make sure their films are as accurate and true to life as possible. There are many different buildings and centers to view on the main campus and not all of them are open to the public all the time. This makes visiting the Space Center often a necessity to get the full experience. 2. Historic Spacecraft There are plenty of historic artifacts at the center to be enjoyed as well as future technology on display that will make any science aficionado’s head spin. With a Smithsonian-affiliated museum that is independently run and operated as a non-profit, you can find robots, current spacecraft, previous models and proto-types of spacecraft, and so much more. There are spacesuit designs, space exploration vehicles, and various other technological inventions, many that have been vital to the success of our space exploration program. 3. Natural Buoyancy Lab Located a bit away from the main center, the Natural buoyancy lab is at the Sonny Carter Training Facility. It is a large pool that is used to train astronauts to be prepared for the effects of zero gravity. By wearing suits that equal the weight of the water they are able to simulate weightlessness. There are full mock space stations of various types in the water for actual simulation missions to be conducted including the International Space Station, the SpaceX Dragon capsule, and various space vehicles. You will also see pictures of actual mock missions being practiced prior to the real thing. 4. Space Capsules Without space capsules, astronauts would not be able to make it back to earth without burning up in the atmosphere. The technology that is needed to create a functional space capsule is fascinating, especially for those who are science minded. Some space capsules you can view are the Gemini 5, the Apollo 17 aka America, and Orion. You can take a tour and view exhibitions regarding the technology involved as well as see what it feels like to be inside one of these great works of technology. 5. Lunch with an astronaut Each Friday the space center takes time to create an event in which astronauts make public appearances and answer questions. Although it is possible to see astronauts all over the campus going about their day and working hard on their newest tasks and missions, you may not recognize many of them. For this reason, many enjoy having a set time to talk with astronauts and ask them more specific science based questions to get their curiosity and thirst for knowledge quenched. With so much to do, it is no wonder that so many people want to visit the Nasa center and learn all about space exploration. If you or your children love space, make sure to plan a time to visit soon! To learn more about Space Center Houston, check out VistBayAreaHouston.
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