Tuesday Oct. 21, 2014

Huntsville Space Museum

We all met in the parking lot and waited for the Enterprise car person to show up. There was a little problem finding the marina, I mean it is the only one in town, but I guess not everyone is a boater. although it would be hard to tell by all the bass boats flying around on the water. Anyway we got the car and headed off to the museum. Bill and Connie dropped Fred (the brother), Colletta and me at the museum. The museum and displays and people were fantastic.  It is amazing how much progress has been made in the space and rocket program.  When it first originated, that was all we hear about – going into space and landing on the moon.  As time went on, the talk decreased and today the space program and the ISS (International Space Station) is taken for granted.  When you go to this museum, see a moon rock and the moon rover and then go and actually see a control center for the ISS, your enthusiasm for the program and awe for those achievements is once again fueled with excitement. We spent the majority of the day there and would have stayed longer, but our “car” had arrived to pick us up.  After a quick stop at Walmart, and the local liquor store, we were back at the boat, just in time for cocktails.  We enjoyed once again visiting with Bill and Connie and Fred and a tour of their 32 ft. Nordic Tug, Simpatico. 

A Saturn V rocket on display

My charming crew at the museum

The business end of a Saturn V rocket 7.5 million pounds of thrust

Werner Van Braun's original rocket test stand at Redstone Military Base

All in all a great day and well worth the time there. What I failed to mention is that if you  want to tour the military base on the 2 hour bus tour the museum offers you need a photo I.D. Colletta just brought a credit card since we don't drive a car right now so no entry. When we explained our blight of being on a boat and having been dropped off the manager requisitioned a car from the motor pool. She then dispatched one of her employees along with Colletta to take her back to the boat some 15 miles away. She returned with her license in plenty of time to take the bus tour.