Space Center Houston


Space Center Houston is a leading science and space learning center, the official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston and a Smithsonian Affiliate museum. The organization is owned and operated by the nonprofit Manned Spaceflight Education Foundation, a 501 organization. The Johnson Space Center is the home of Mission Control and astronaut training.
The center opened in 1992 and hosts more than 1 million visitors annually in its 250,000-square-foot educational complex. It is one of the top destinations in Houston holding the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. The center holds over 400 space artifacts, permanent and traveling exhibits, , live shows and theaters dedicated to preserving the history of America's human spaceflight program. It has a number of significant artifact galleries.
The center has extensive STEM education programs for all ages and draws more than 200,000 students and teachers each year. It annually generates a $73 million economic impact, 925 jobs and $36 million in personal income in greater Houston, according to a 2016 economic study by Jason Murasko and Stephen Cotten, associate professors of economics at the University of Houston–Clear Lake.

Starship gallery

This artifact gallery tells the story of American spaceflight and includes three flown spacecraft, Moon rocks and a full-scale Skylab Trainer:
These artifacts were formerly housed in Johnson Space Center's former Visitor Center in Building 2.

Independence Plaza

Space Center Houston is the home of the one-of-a-kind Independence Plaza exhibit complex. This landmark attraction contains the world's only Space Shuttle replica, where it stands mounted on one of the two original shuttle carrier aircraft. Independence Plaza is the only place where the public can enter both vehicles. The Space Shuttle replica Independence, formerly known as Explorer, previously was located at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex but was moved to make way for a new permanent attraction hall for Space Shuttle Atlantis. Independence is now displayed atop the retired Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, NASA 905. On August 14, 2014, a heavy lift called The Rise of Independence was completed to place Independence on top of NASA 905. The plane was transported to Space Center Houston from Ellington Airport on April 30, 2014. The center opened the giant exhibit complex on January 23, 2016 at an estimated cost of US$15 million. The giant complex is the biggest project for Space Center Houston since opening in 1992.

NASA tram tour and Rocket Park

The general public can visit Johnson Space Center only via Space Center Houston's open-air tram tour. The tour includes Building 30, Building 9 and Rocket Park with a restored Saturn V rocket. The tram tour visits working government facilities which are subject to availability and can temporarily close to visitors without notice.:38-44
The first stage of this Saturn V rocket is from SA-514, the second stage from SA-515. The Apollo Command/Service Module CSM-115a caps the pointy end. NASA displayed the restored Saturn V, on loan from the Smithsonian, outside from 1977 through 2004, when the Smithsonian took ownership. Grants from the National Park Service's Save America's Treasures program, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and private contributors funded the restoration.

Mission Mars

The exhibit Mission Mars opened in January 2017 and was developed with the help of NASA. It focuses on the work NASA is doing now to plan for future travel to Mars. Mission Mars teaches visitors about the planet through a variety of activities that transport them to the Martian landscape, including a virtual reality wall, real-time weather forecasts and a Mars meteorite that guests can touch. Visitors also can see a full-size Orion linkresearch capsule, experience an Orion spacecraft simulator and get a look at the next generation of Mars rovers.

Other attractions

The Manned Space Flight Education Foundation's education department at Space Center Houston is among the nation's leading science-education resources. The programs are based on national science standards and focus on interactive science, technology, engineering and math activities to inspire learning, and develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills for all ages, especially as related to human spaceflight and exploration. Programs include: