NASA

On Friday, August 8th, we drove from Houston to Webster, which is only a few miles away. Webster, Texas is the home of NASA and it was a great experience. Ethan has always been so fascinated by planets and space ships and astronauts, so we had to make a trip down there to see the home of the Space Program.

When I was a kid we went to NASA a few times on field trips and it was always incredible. Even as a kid I had a respect for the Space Program. I've always had a great appreciation for the brain power that fuels it. I feel that within the realm of our mortal intelligence, the minds within the program are as close as you can get to Heavenly Father's intelligence. I am always in awe at the thought of it.

The day started off with a few bumps, but it quickly turned around and we had an awesome time. NASA is an enormous campus, probably bigger than most college campuses. Of course we were not permitted to go into most areas, but the Johnson Space Center does have a huge part that is designated for tourists. It is a lot like a museum and we went through all of the exhibits.

We watched a film in the theatre all about the history of the different shuttles. We saw the first moon landing and I cried during in the whole thing. I wish I could have been there to actually witness it live from my living room, but the replay was great. At one point Ethan leaned over to me and said "Mom, this is sooooo cool!" That made the whole trip worth it right there. We saw President Kennedy's speech given at Rice University in Houston and it gave me chills. Do yourself a favor and read it when you get the chance (click here).

Then we took an hour long tram ride through the campus and we got to see the training facility. This is where astronauts actually train inside simulators. The facility was GIGANTIC!!
Picnicking on the grounds right outside the Space Center entrance.
Waiting for the film to start.
Maybe one day there will be a photo of Ethan on these walls!

Lauren loved the tram!

The training facility. Look at the size of this thing!

This is the Astronaut Memorial Grove of Trees. In 1986, seven trees were planted here when the Challenger exploded. Even though I was a kid, I recall it vividly. It was an especially big deal in Houston because of NASA. In my school all of the students drew pictures about the Shuttle and the astronauts and the art work was displayed all over the walls of the school. It seemed that not a scrap of wall was naked. Pictures covered everything and stayed like that for weeks. I think it really hit close to home in the school because one of the members killed on the shuttle was a teacher involved in the Teacher in Space Program.

Every time an astronaut (even a former/retired one) passes away a new tree is planted in their memory. Sadly, seven more trees were planted in 2003 when the Columbia exploded. The tram stopped here at the grove and we had a long moment of silence. You could hear a pin drop and It was very intense.
This is the Saturn, this largest rocket ever built in the world. It is so big I could not fit it all in one frame! The engines alone (the cone shaped things that shoot fire and exhaust out of) were at least twenty feet in diameter alone!

I think I need to go watch "Apollo 13" again and have a good cry. It gets me every time!