Posts: 35
From: Lockport, IL USA
Registered: Sep 2008

posted 09-16-2008 10:31 AM               

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I have been a huge space history fan for some time and set my mind that I was going to visit all the manned U.S/ ships on display. I have finally accomplished this!

I have visited all the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Skylab capsules as well as the Enterprise Shuttle. Finding all the ships was a bit of a challenge (I learned they move around a bit from museum to museum).

For anyone else out there interested in doing the same, please visit my website. Although it is a work in progress, it will soon have links to all the museums with ships on display.

I'd love to hear your input, and any ideas on other places worth visiting.

Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 09-16-2008 11:01 AM               

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Congrats on the site and the very noteworthy achievement of having visited every U.S. manned spacecraft on display. Anybody who has a Astronaut pin tattooed on their ankle is a true spaceaholic in my book. Only wish I had a teacher like you while going through school.

Have you visited Jim Gerard's Field Guide to American Spacecraft? His site offers a pretty good run-down of current locations for almost all US manned spacecraft (and affiliated launch systems) on exhibit.

Posts: 1306
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007

Posts: 35
From: Lockport, IL USA
Registered: Sep 2008

Posts: 145
From:
Registered: Apr 2003

posted 09-16-2008 05:34 PM               

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Others looking to visit all the flown manned Apollo spacecraft might be interested in a section about it on my website.

This gives the location (and link to Google map), museum hours, phone number... everything you need to plan your visit.

It's less comprehensive than "A Field Guide to American Spacecraft" (which I LOVE), but very useful nonetheless...

Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001

Posts: 575
From: washington dc usa
Registered: May 2004

Posts: 2896
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005

posted 09-17-2008 08:25 AM               

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Welcome to cS Lisa! I too wish you were my teacher when I was young. You must be a great mentor to your students. At least they'll leave your class knowing we walked on the Moon.

Do you know about the Young Astronaut Program? If not send me an email.

By the way, when you fly in space will you color in your tattoo gold?

Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000

posted 09-17-2008 03:31 PM               

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You might also look into applying for becoming a JPL Solar System Ambassador. I think they are soon looking for people for next year.

I applied last year and got the job. You'll get on a the mailing list for all kinds of nifty space stuff that comes in the mail that you can show or give to the students. I've mostly given out things at our club meetings or events like Space Day/Astronomy Day.

Here is my JPL profile.

Posts: 1306
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007

Posts: 323
From: Cleveland, OH USA
Registered: Aug 2006

Posts: 110
From: San Antonio, TX
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 09-17-2008 10:36 PM               

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Lisa, wonderful website. Congrats on completing a most noble space enthusiast quest. Some of us are struggling to attain the same great goal.

You're the "dream teacher" we all wish we'd had.

Posts: 35
From: Lockport, IL USA
Registered: Sep 2008

posted 09-18-2008 08:16 AM               

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Thanks to all of you for the welcomes, positive comments, and great input on vacation and teaching ideas. I have been checking the collectSPACE site for years, but finally decided to become more active in the forums.

Marcy -- the picture of me in the Apollo capsule was taken at the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville.

As far as being a "dream teacher" I think some of my teen age students might disagree, but I do teach quite an extensive unit on the Space Race in my Earth Science class! When my students go on to US History the following year, I always get e-mails from their teachers surprised on my students' knowledge of the Cold War Era. I am doing my part to create a new generation of space "crazies"!

Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002

Posts: 1405
From: Huntington Beach
Registered: Feb 2000

Posts: 35
From: Lockport, IL USA
Registered: Sep 2008

Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002

Posts: 37
From: San Francisco, CA USA
Registered: Sep 2006

posted 10-09-2008 05:42 AM            

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quote:

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Originally posted by thump:
I can't answer for most of them, but Armstrong's Apollo 11, and White's and McDivitt's Gemini 4 are no longer on exhibit at NASM, and probably won't be, due to condition and historical preservation, for any time to come, if ever...

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Remember seeing a segment of a TV program about the curator at the NASM responsible for the care and preservation of the Apollo mission spacesuits - they were stored laid out flat on chrome metal shelving units like you could get at your local Costco.

The deterioration of the rubber in Mike Collins' Apollo 11 suit was shown, and to my amazement they did a segment with Buzz Aldrin interacting with his Apollo 11 suit. Out in the open, not wearing any protective garment and under normal room light.

Considering that his suit and Armstrong's were displayed at the NASM in their own special unit under very low lighting for years I thought that if someone was ever going to interact with them it would be in a similar setting, and wearing some sort of bunny suit to prevent contamination or deterioration.

Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999