sullivan@msor.exeter.ac.uk (Rob Sullivan) (11/25/90)
Hi, I am currently spending the last week of a five week visit to the USA in Houston. I am a solid state theorist from Exeter University in England and I am here to discuss my postgraduate work with a Professor in the high Tc center at the University of Houston. I am a regular reader of this newsgroup and a real space enthusiast. I would very much like to visit the Space center while I am here in Houston. I would be most grateful for any details regarding the necessary arrangements for such a visit. Such things as the availability of public transport from the University to the center and the times of guided tours. Any offers of a personal tour would be warmly accepted. Thanks in advance... Robert Sullivan. -- - - - - Robert Sullivan JANET : sullivan@uk.ac.exeter.msor Theoretical Physics Dept. UUCP : sullivan%msor.exeter.ac.uk@ukc.uucp University of Exeter BITNET : sullivan%msor.exeter.ac.uk@UKACRL England. Internet : sullivan%msor.exeter.ac.uk@cunyvm.cuny.edu EX4 4QL Tel : +44 392 264198 "One must be open-minded -- --but not so open-minded that one's brains fall out."
john@newave.UUCP (John A. Weeks III) (11/29/90)
In article <SULLIVAN.90Nov25025000@msor0.msor.exeter.ac.uk> sullivan@msor.exeter.ac.uk (Rob Sullivan) writes: > I would very much like to visit the Space center while I am here in > Houston. I would be most grateful for any details regarding the necessary > arrangements for such a visit. There really isn't that much on public display at JSC, and, unless you have real business with NASA, the chances of a special tour are really slim. Here is what I got to see when I was there last month: 1. Rocket park - Saturn V bird stand, a little joe, and one other smaller rocket (Atlas I think). 2. Engine dispaly - several engines on display outside of visitors center. 3. Visitors Center - one of each capsule (Mercury, Gemanii, Apollo), a LEM, the flying bed-stead, a moon rock, a number of mock-ups of shuttle and fred, and a few models of various space hardware. 4. Building 9 - Mock-ups of Fred used for training & fred's arm (with a giant red maple leaf painted on). Most of building 9 is closed for construction, so you cannot see much of anything. 5. Building 31 - Moon rock storage. You can walk through a hallway and look at the moon rock storage vaults. Looks much like a hospital. 6. Mission Control - Tickets required, get them at the info desk in the visitors center. You get to sit in the observation area and look at the mission control room for 10 minutes. Because of the thick glass, it is nearly impossible to get any type of photos. 7. Gift shop - A counter in the cafateria. Usually over crowed and almost impossible to browse at. If you are any kind of space fan, you really should visit JSC. But considering that over 1 million people a year visit there, there really isn't that much to see or learn about. They are about to build a new visitors center. Hopefully they will address the tourists a bit more. One other thing that I noticed...about 80% of the visitors appeared to be foriegn. Houston must not be a very popular place for domestic tourism. While in Houston, visit the zoo (they have some very nice baby tigers at the moment), and stop by and visit Combat Jets (prior phone call required). -john- -- =============================================================================== John A. Weeks III (612) 942-6969 john@newave.mn.org NeWave Communications ...uunet!rosevax!bungia!wd0gol!newave!john ===============================================================================
gamorris@lescsse.uucp (Gary A. Morris) (11/30/90)
In <524@newave.UUCP> john@newave.UUCP (John A. Weeks III) writes: >In article <SULLIVAN.90Nov25025000@msor0.msor.exeter.ac.uk> sullivan@msor.exeter.ac.uk (Rob Sullivan) writes: >> I would very much like to visit the Space center while I am here in >> Houston. I would be most grateful for any details regarding the necessary >> arrangements for such a visit. There is a visitor information recording available by calling 713-483-4321. The Johnson Space Center (JSC) is open to the public every day except December 25th. The visitor gate is open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, buildings close at 4:30 PM. Admission is free. Tours are self-guided, stay as long as you like at any display, except mission control tours are guided and scheduled. You should go to building 2 after arrival to get tickets for one of the Flight Control Room (FCR) (mission control) tours. Admission is free. The FCR is closed to visitors during flights (starting the day before launch). If STS-35 launches as scheduled on Dec 2nd, mission control will be closed from 12/2/90 to 12/11/90. Guided tours start every 30 minutes, 100 tickets per tour are given out, first come first served. >1. Rocket park - Saturn V bird stand, a little joe, and one other smaller >rocket (Atlas I think). It's a Redstone with a Mercury capsule. --GaryM -- Gary Morris Internet: lobster!lescsse!gamorris@menudo.uh.edu Lockheed (LESC), A22 UUCP: lobster!lescsse!gamorris Space Station Freedom NASAmail: gmorris/jsc/nasa Houston, Texas Internet: gmorris@nasamail.nasa.gov