SPACE CENTER HOUSTON

It would be a shame to come to Houston without visiting the NASA space center. You can easily spend three hours there, much more if you go with children... A small train allows you to get close to the Johnson Space Center, which is of course still in operation. It is here that rockets are guided, from their launch to their arrival in space. Plans to return to the Moon and go to Mars are currently under study here. The Space Center has plans for a specialized extension on these projects, where they will create an environment that simulates the respective terrains and conditions of the Moon and Mars, in preparation for further conquests. In 2010, however, Barack Obama shook the center, when he announced budget cuts on the space conquest. He spoke at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, without mentioning the role of the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Donald Trump, on the other hand, has sought to reaffirm American hegemony in space conquest.
The Space Center's goal today is to explain the evolution of the various space ships, the training required to go into space and the stakes involved in researching the conquest of space, which is more than ever anchored in the future. What they do so well is the way the tours are organized, allowing hundreds of visitors to see what goes on inside, even seeing the scientists at work!

Here's a list of must-see attractions during your visit:

NASA Tram Tour. We advise you to take the Johnson Space Center tour as soon as you arrive, first because it is fascinating and should not be missed, and second because the train fills up quickly. Three stages are marked: the room where journalists, engineers and families of astronauts could see, in 1969, the first man set foot on the moon, called 'Historic Mission Control'; the Apollo training site, with bits of rockets and, if you are lucky, cosmonauts sometimes in exercise! Then there is also Rocket Park, where the Saturn V shuttle is displayed, as well as panels recalling all the missions of the center and their results. A bronze statue in honor of the Appollo 13 astronauts has recently been added. Don't be fooled by the multiple lines. Rocket Park can be visited easily and at any time. However, hurry to visit the other two sites, which are complementary and really interesting. The bad news is that you have to take a shuttle bus to each site. It is highly recommended to reserve your seat in advance.

Space Center Plaza. This is the central plaza where many of the exhibits and activities are concentrated. Kids won't want to miss the fun and wacky science demonstrations at the Stellar Science show. You can also try one of the flight simulators (4 or 6 US$ extra), which are a bit disappointing, discover the most fascinating secrets of the Red Planet by taking a look at the Mission Mars exhibition, or stock up on NASA souvenirs and goodies at the Space Trader Gift Shop.

Astronaut Gallery and Space Center Theater. First, you will discover in the gallery a collection of astronaut suits, including that of John Young, commander of the Apollo 16 mission, who wore the suit presented in 1981, or one of the suits of Judy Resnik, the second American woman to have been sent into space where she died alongside six other astronauts during the disintegration of the Challenger shuttle on January 28, 1986. The Space Center Theater, to be discovered in the next room, would be one of the largest movie theaters in Texas where films and documentaries are regularly renewed.

The International Space Station. This exhibition presents the largest space station ever sent into space: the International Space Station (ISS). Launched in 1998, it is located in low earth orbit, between the atmosphere and the Van Allen belt. Europe, Russia, Japan and Canada collaborate on scientific research on space in the ISS. Explanatory panels, materials and objects related to the space station and its research are presented here. Not to be missed: the "Living in space" intervention held in a prototype space capsule.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exhibit. Launched in 2017, this rocket is now on display outdoors near Independence Plaza. Here is presented the future of space travel, with reusable rockets, making travel more accessible thanks to the invention of SpaceX, created by Elon Musk, and intimately linked to the project of colonizing the planet Mars.

Starship Gallery. This superb gallery plunges us into the bluish atmosphere of the space conquest with its Apollo 17 Command Module or its Skylab Training module. We will not fail to touch a piece of stone from the Moon.

Independence Plaza. This exhibition area of the center is located outside the museum where you can enter the life-size replica of the space shuttle Independence and the historic aircraft carrier NASA 905.