Road Trip to NASA

By Christine Arasaratnam

When you’re in Houston, visiting the Space Centre will definitely be on the must-do list. It is hard to not be amazed at the wonder of science, technology, and engineering set against a rich history of space exploration.

The Space Centre Houston was formally opened in 1992 as a visitor centre, and is the gateway to the Lyndon B Johnson Space Centre. The Johnson Space Centre itself was constructed in the early 1960’s and officially opened in 1963 in order to house the burgeoning power of the US space program. The site consists of 660 hectares of land (donated through Rice University) and holds laboratories, research centres, and astronaut training facilities. A tram ride, in the simmering Texan heat, is well worth the experience for a tour of the grounds, where Mission Control and the Vehicle Mock-Up Facility are the draw cards. The Vehicle Mock-Up Facility in particular has exhibits of International Space Centre parts, contained on one expansive floor. A poignant reminder of the sacrifices made in the effort of space exploration is seen in Memorial Grove, where trees are planted in remembrance of astronauts from Space Shuttle Challenger (1986) and Space Shuttle Columbia (2003) in addition to those in remembrance of former family members and employees of NASA.

The Space Centre also holds the largest lunar rock exhibit available for the general public to view, a series of flight simulators, and frequently holds touring exhibits, the most recent being a Mythbusters exhibit based from the television show. Regardless of age, the interactive stands are too inviting to miss!

In summary, one realizes that this very centre is where dreams of space exploration turned into reality, through the pursuit of science and technology, and every piece of work seen at the Space Centre is a piece of history.

Some of the amazing machines and rockets inside NASA

P.S For more space related history, pick up a copy of Rocket Girl: The Story of Mary Sherman Morgan, America's First Female Rocket Scientist by George D. Morgan.

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And for an added bonus, keep your eye out for Hidden Figures starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Kirsten Dunst and Jim Parsons. The film is based on the true story of three African-American women mathematicians (Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson) who worked at NASA during the crucial early days of the Space Race, and is inspired by the book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly. Click here to have a look at the trailer.

About the Author
Christine Arasaratnam is a graduate neurosciences student exploring the distribution of different neurons in the human brain, particularly the striatum. She has also investigated cellular changes in Huntington’s disease, and hopes to extend this research to Parkinson’s disease. She loves to try her hand at all things cooking and baking (which has led to a signature chocolate brownie recipe) and enjoys a good cup of tea.

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