Spotlight: Houston - The Johnson Space Center & Space Center Houston (NASA)

Spotlight: Fifty years ago (July 20, 1969) was one of those landmark dates in history - the day man walked on the moon. Neil Armstrong, the first human being to step on a extraterrestrial landmass, stated, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind."

Apollo 11 crew

     The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was founded in 1958 as an independent organization of the U.S. Federal Government. The new agency was given the directive to pursue peaceful applications in space science; including the Apollo Moon Landing missions, the Skylab space station, the Space Shuttle, supporting the International Space Station, overseeing the development of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, the Space Launch System and Commercial Crew vehicles.
     The Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas is the central hub of NASA operations, but is just one of several facilities run by the organization throughout the nation.

Location: The Johnson Space Center is located at 2101 E. NASA Parkway in Houston, TX - about a 30-minute drive from downtown Houston.

Cost: Space Center Houston ticket prices: adults - $29.95, children (4-11) - $24.95, seniors (65+) - $27.95. An audio tour option is available for an additional $6/ticket.

Time: The Space Center is open from 10am - 5pm on weekdays and 9am - 6pm on weekends. During the summer, it stays open an extra hour on weekdays. Plan on spending at least a half-day there. Space geeks could spend a full day there and still want more.

Description: The Johnson Space Center has a variety of fun activities. When we went in 2014, they had a Mars exhibit with different activities that simulated the Martian environment. We did the Mars Walk, a Freefall, a glider ride simulation, etc.

Mars Walk

Glider simulation

Freefall

     There were lots of hands on displays that allowed you to perform several tasks that astronauts had to perform remotely or in the confines of their space suits. The girls also got to experience a blastoff simulation.

Blastoff

     Naturally, we went on a tour of the space station, which included the Astronaut Gallery, the Mission Control Center, and several buildings that housed outdated space equipment at Rocket Park. By inspecting them up close, you get a good idea of how massive some of these vehicles are.

Saturn Rocket

Mission Control Center

cockpit of Space Shuttle Independence

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: - In order to visit the Johnson Space Center, you must book a tour through Space Center Houston.
- The Zero-G Diner is available if you are there through lunch time.
- The grounds are huge, and you probably won't have time to do everything. The top attractions at Space Center Houston include: 1) The Orion Simulator and Starship Gallery; 2) The Moon Rock Gallery; 3) Independence Plaza; 4) The Neutral Buoyancy Lab; 5) Mission Control; 6) Space Vehicle Mockup Facility; and 7) Rocket Park.
- Keep tabs on the time so that you don't miss out on your timed Independence Plaza tour of the space shuttle as well as your tour of the Johnson Space Center.
- The Johnson Space Center is still actively used to prepare astronauts for space exploration. The Orion program is currently preparing to send humans to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
- For a detailed itinerary of how to spend your day, click here.

Nearby: Downtown Aquarium, Dolphin Excursion, Minute Maid Park, Nolan Ryan Museum