April 27, 2008

April 27, 2008

We made the short drive into Houston stopping at the Johnson Space Center. Even though I had many business trips here I never got the chance to visit NASA-Houston. It turned out I didn’t miss much. I should have suspected something when I paid an admission price worthy of an amusement park for that is what it turned out to be. Upon walking in we were greeted by a carnival-like atmosphere and hundreds of kids playing in a futuristic jungle gym. Most of the central core was devoted to astronaut-themed kid’s rides. The handful of more serious options included a couple movies (which we passed on), the standard astronaut artifacts (all behind glass and in gloomy lighting) and the highlight, a tram tour of the facility.

The 1960’s-era Disney-style tram took 90 minutes to see three short stops. The first was a viewing of an empty Mission Control room, and the second an astronaut practice center. The third stop was cancelled due to rain. (I guess NASA doesn’t realize it rains every afternoon in Houston). I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. Now that NASA doesn’t have a clear mission or mandate anymore, in many ways they have turned into a sophisticated form of public amusement, with a goal of more funding. The facility here is just a reflection of that.

We ended up leaving the facility early and spent the night at a private park on the east side of Houston.