We drove approximately 35 miles to the NASA Johnson Space Center, picking up Joanne and Kirsten on our way.
We were met by Kirsten's friend and former colleague Paul, who now is in charge of the NASA artifact collections.
He drove us around to see many things and got us attached to a VIP tour of the mission control facilities.
One of the first things we saw was a reenactment of the Apollo 11 moon landing watching the various screens
in the mission control room that had been expertly restored to the way it was on June 20, 1969. This was
viewed through glass from a room that overlooked mission control.
Only a few people per day are alllowing into the actual mission control room. We were part of a VIP tour that
did so. We had to stay behind a red rope, but we got an amazing opportunity to see things up close.
On the floor below the historic mission control, we viewed the current ISS mission control room. Note that
the computer monitors are much more modern.
Later, Paul drove us to see the last remaining Saturn 5 rocket which was made for the Apollo program
but the program was terminated before it could be used. Here is a picture of Paul standing by the
engines of stage one and Dick standing near the engines of stage two.
Paul took us to see a set of sculptures that he designed of the Apollo 13 crew showing them emerging from
the helicopter that picked them up after they splashed down. He wanted them as accurate as possible.
He told of contacting one of the astronauts by phone to get exact measurements of the ring that he
was wearing at the time.
Finally, Paul took a picture of the four of us, Joanne, Kirsten, Bruce, and Dick, standing in from of
a small rocket of a type that was used for testing early in the Apollo program.
Approximate mileage for the day was 85 miles.