Houston

Here are some pics from Oct 2000 when my parents and I went to the Johnson Space Centre. It was a funny day, because we unknowingly snuck in when it was closed to the public, but open to 'Home School Families'. I got a fair bit of grief over all of that.....but it was certainly entertaining. It is where they control all of the shuttle missions from, we were lucky enough to be at mission control when they had a shuttle up.

He is not really floating - they use what they call 'wires' if you look closely

This is inside the cockpit of a fake spaceship. Not unlike the fake spaceships I recall building as a child...but not really too much like them either...

This is an example of how they make big rockets, never launch them, and put them in a 'Rocket Park'.

Here are some more 'Rockets' in the 'Rocket Park'

The Astronaut training facility where astronauts learn the ropes. It seems the floor was very wet on the day we arrived.

These are more training modules where they practice eating and sleeping and other space stuff

The X-32 a brand new emergency lifecraft being developed for the new space station. It is meant to get all the Americans home when the Russian guys get loaded on vodka and start tearing the place apart.

And at last...a lovely 'Home School Family'...Ohhhhhh..these ones actually look slightly normal, but believe me - there were some strange ones!!