The U.S Space and Rocket Center is a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. space program. It’s located at One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, Alabama. The museum opened in 1970 and houses a variety of interactive science exhibits, simulators, archives and over 1,400 items from rocketry and space exploration and more.
Location
- 1 Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL 35805
- (256) 837-3400
- Website: Click Here
Camps
The U.S Space and Rocket Center offers two different programs for people to stay at the museum for a camp. The U.S. Space camp provides participants with experience of the space program by operating simulators, listening to lectures and participating in training exercises. The Aviation Challenge Camp provides participants the chance to experience military fighter pilot training through the use of simulators, lectures and partaking in survival exercises.
Main Exhibit Area
Here visitors can learn about the space race between the United States and Russia. They can also learn more about the Space Shuttle program as well as the International Space Station. They can also see the original trainers used for astronauts in the Mercury and Gemini space programs. There is also a variety of travel simulators and hand-on exhibits to experience.
Simulators
There are a many different simulators available for visitors to experience at the U.S Space and Rocket Center. Some of the simulators are Space Shot, which permits people to feel what an actual space launch feels like. Visitors board the simulator rocket that goes up 140 feet in less than three seconds. A person will experience 4 G’s of force and three seconds of weightlessness before a 1 G free fall back down. Mars Mission enables people ride in a capsule to Mars and see the interesting things that happen on the Martian surface. Apache enables people the chance to operate a simulator for an Apache helicopter. People can shoot down enemies and fire hellfire missiles and 30mm rounds. Participants can be either a pilot or the helicopter gunner.
Archives
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center has a variety of historically significantly documents for viewing. Visitors can see the papers of Dr. Wernher von Braun known as the “Father of Rocket Science.” There are documents from Ernst Stuhlinger and other German rocket scientists who came to the United States during World War II and were known as the “Paperclip” team. NASA documents from the early years of the space program and more.
Exhibits
The Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists exhibit will be at the US Space and Rocket Center until August 2013. This exhibit explains what a black hole is and why it’s one of the most mysterious things found in all of space. Visitors are able to learn more about black holes with a series of interactive models, technology learning and computer designed experiences. The exhibit has been designed to teach the visitor using the video guidance of professionals and amateurs who study black holes.
Hours of Operation
The U.S. Space and Rocket Center is open every day from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. They are closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
