Did You Know Alabama Is Home To The World’s Largest Space Museum?
By Lisa Battles|Published May 29, 2024
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Lisa Battles
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Lisa has traveled the U.S. for over a decade, seeking out and sharing the stories of its most interesting places, people, and experiences. A journalism graduate of Auburn University, she has been a content strategist, editor, and writer for more than 25 years. Lisa has worked in community news, PR, and marketing with a focus on tourism, hospitality, and economic development. Besides following her curiosity around every corner, she's a devoted dog mom of two and advocate for animal welfare.
Not long after Alabama scientists put Americans on the moon via the Apollo 11 and 12 spaceflights, the space center in Alabama opened its doors. Dr. Wernher von Braun led the Marshall Space Flight Center team in Huntsville to develop the Saturn V rocket, the first ever that was powerful enough to send astronauts to the moon. While working on the Apollo program, von Braun also appealed to the state legislature to create The U.S. Space and Rocket Center. He wanted to create a place where the public could see the space program’s work firsthand.
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center opened in 1970 about six miles north of Marshall Space Flight Center. Since then, more than 17 million people have toured the facility, which is the official NASA visitor center for MSFC. The center is the state's most popular tourist attraction.
While a Saturn V model looms over the property outside, inside you'll find the real deal. There are only three remaining in the world, and it's a National Historic Landmark. The space center is a Smithsonian affiliate museum, and the rocket is the Smithsonian's largest artifact.
Another special exhibit is the Apollo 16 Command Module, named Casper by its pilot, Ken Mattingly, who passed away at age 87 in 2023. Mattingly is also well known for his part in helping the Apollo 13 crew return home safely after a near disaster due to multiple equipment malfunctions.
Also on the Apollo 16 mission in April 1972 were Commander John Young and Charles Duke, Jr. While Mattingly piloted the command module, the other two descended to the moon's surface via the lunar module, Orion. During the mission, Duke became the 10th person to walk on the moon and the youngest, at age 36. Young passed in 2018 at age 87, and Duke is the only surviving crew member at this writing.
Another huge draw to this space center in Alabama is Space Camp, which launched in 1982 and now has over 700,000 alumni from all U.S states and territories and more than 150 countries. I admit being intrigued to learn the camp isn't just for kids! There are sessions for adults ages 18 and over and special training programs for educators.
Space Camp Mission Floor is where you'll find many of the simulators and other equipment for training campers as astronauts do. There is a 1/6th Gravity Chair, Five Degrees of Freedom simuloator and a Multi-Axis Trainer, among others.
In summer 2024 the museum unveils its highly anticipated refurbished Rocket Park, which has been a popular attraction on the grounds for many years. The collection of historic rockets includes the U.S. Army Redstone, Jupiter, Jupiter-C, Juno II, and Mercury-Redstone booster, which were restored by Cosmos Aerospace of Cullman. California billionaire Fred Luddy, founder of the cloud computing company ServiceNow and a Space Camp attendee's father, donated $500,000 for the rockets' restoration.
Several million dollars have gone into the larger project, which includes remounting the rockets, restoration of the Space Shuttle Pathfinder, an amphitheater, and landscaping. Another new feature is a massive engine section of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) core stage pathfinder, an exact replica of the actual hardware used in simulations.
Another must-do experience is The INTUITIVE Planetarium, which recently released a refreshed version of its "Our Place in Space" show. You will feel like you're transported to distant worlds with "The James Webb Space Telescope: The Story Unfolds," show, which features images captured by the most powerful telescope to date.
As you might imagine, the features and activities to be had at this space center in Alabama are vast. Maybe not as seemingly infinite as the cosmos, but I’ve only pointed a small telescope at it to give you the gist! You’ll have to go and explore on your own and report back your favorite parts of the experience.
Plan a full day for exploring the center to the fullest. On that note, if you’re looking to stay a while, there are many nice hotels in Huntsville, Alabama near space center attractions or in the heart of the city’s vibrant downtown. For a unique stay that gives a nod to the Apollo program era from the 1960s into the mid-1970s, check out this retro-yet-updated geodesic dome home in a residential area east of downtown.
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