NASA

Another one of our fun outings with Dips, Rayan and Maya was a tour of NASA. We got to visit many areas not open to the general public.

First stop, NBL (Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory)

NBL is a big pool used to simulate weightlessness.  In the pool is a mock ISS (International Space Station)  The astronauts come here to train for space walks.

We were lucky enough to get to go down to the pool side and watch as two astronauts were being suited up for their training.  In this shot you can see the mock station in the water.

This is Randy Bresnik suiting up.  He is a member of STS 129 which landed earlier today.  He recently made the news as his wife delivered their baby while he was in space

Randy was nice enough to let us take a picture with him!

 

Here is a view of the control rooms for the NBL.  One set of rooms monitors the pool and activities for safety and the other set acts as a mock MCC (mission control center).

Pool side with Megan, our awesome tour guide.

Finally all suited up!  They lift the platform and put them in the pool.

Going, going....

One last wave!

In the control room at the NBL.  This is a console like what would be on the shuttle.  Here they practice operations inside the shuttle as the space walkers are practicing what they will do outside on the space walk.

View of the pool from the control room.

Second stop, MCC.  (Mission Control Center)  This is the MCC for the shuttle.  When we visited, there wasn't a shuttle mission, but they were having a simulation, so we couldn't go in.

This is the MCC for the ISS.  Since it is always operational, we couldn't go in here either.  :(

Maya was very interested in what was going on!

Next stop, the "historic" MCC.  This is the control room used for the Apollo era missions.  Lichar is holding one of the canisters they used to communicate with other rooms.  The canister is just like the ones at drive thru banks!

Amazing that we sent man to the moon with this technology!

Last stop, Building 9--the mock up and training facility.  Here we are about to enter the shuttle.

Dips and Rayan with two of the mock shuttles in the background.

Rayan entering the shuttle.

Showing us the sleeping arrangements.

And the infamous bathroom.

Dips climbing up to the flight deck.

Me coming up to flight deck.

A view of Dips and Rayan on flight deck.

Flying the shuttle!!!

And now a tour of the ISS.

Inside one of the station modules.

What a great tour!!  Maya even got to park in "crew parking!"