posted June 03, 2008 07:45 PM               

Evergreen Space Museum Launches June 6

Oregon's largest space facility will compliment the home of the "Spruce Goose" and IMAX 3D Theater

The Evergreen Aviation Museum is famous for the world's largest wooden flying boat, the Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, and the world's fastest aircraft ever built, the SR-71 Blackbird, but soon visitors will also enjoy another world class addition on June 6, 2008 - a new space facility.

Evergreen teamed with Hoffman Construction of Portland, Ore. and began construction of the new Space Museum in late September 2006. The 120,000 square foot facility will compliment the museum campus and reflect the same design as the home of the famous Spruce Goose.

The new museum will feature artifacts the facility has already acquired including the Titan II SLV missile, the Titan IV SLV missile, the Willamette Meteorite, the replica Lunar Module, the replica Lunar Rover and the Russian Photon Space Capsule.

The new facility also boasts a 65,000 square foot space gallery that will include dozens of authentic space artifacts, some of which are in the museum's permanent collection and others that will be loaned to the museum by he Kansas Cosmosphere and National Air & Space Museum. Major exhibits will include an X-15, a Redstone Rocket, Gemini capsule, Apollo capsule, Saturn Rocket, space food and a collection of space suits. Historic artifacts, full-scale replicas of spacecraft and interactive exhibits and simulators will all be used to tell the story of spaceflight. The centerpiece of the new facility will be a Titan II SLV missile. With this new exhibit, guests will be able to participate in a hands-on missile launch experience. The museum also plans to host a series of educational programs and space camps.

In addition to the exhibits, the Space Museum will feature visitor amenities including: An aviation and space themed playground, The Right Stuff Gift Store, The Cosmo Cafe, The Tasting Station Wine Bar, The Milky Way ice cream shop and the Sweet Space treat stop.

The new Space Museum will also become the home of McMinnville High School's Engineering and Science Academy (EASA) in September 2008. The Academy will be home to local students who will spend half day increments in labs and classes in the museum's new classroom facility.

posted January 05, 2009 12:49 AM               

The air museum was amazing, they had a great collection highlighted by the H-4 Spruce Goose. I would greatly advise anyone who loves aircraft and is in the area to stop by and check it out as it is an amazing museum. Here is a pic, but there is a lot of stuff on the other side of the Spruce Goose.

The space museum was nice, but a much newer attraction and still has quite a room to grow. They have a few nice things in there... but they need to add more. The biggest highlight in my eyes was unflown #10 Mercury capsule with retro rocket pack. It was really the only authentic manned space vechile at the museum. They had Jim McDivitt's flight suit from Gemini-IV which was cool... but most everything else were replicas. The had replicas of a Gemini capsule, Apollo capsule, LEM, Lunar Rover, etc.

In my eyes, the Mercury capsule is the highlight. They also have an SR-71 Blackbird and a replica X-15.

They also have a couple rockets on display including a V2, Redstone, and Titan.

posted January 22, 2009 10:41 AM               

Cheers!

posted January 22, 2009 04:47 PM            

Respectfully, there is a major chance that you are incorrect. I have spoken to some of the old NAA team here in Downey and none remember a full size X-15 built just for wind tunnel work. They feel that there were small scale models built for the wind tunnels but nothing that large.

I believe they are correct, as Scott Crossfield would not have had the landing issues he had on the first flight if it had been tested in a tunnel.

posted January 22, 2009 07:06 PM               

As for the replica signed by Neil Armstrong, I'm guessing that this one is not it, because during the restoration process, our volunteers found nothing like that on it. However, during the opening ceremonies for the new Space Building, we had Joe Engle sign it just below the canopy with a white paint marker. So... it has at least one authentic signature on it.

posted January 23, 2009 09:07 AM               

Here is McDivitt's suit in the Garber facility vault in March 2008:

posted January 23, 2009 06:43 PM            

• Number 1: 66670 is at the Smithsonian,
  
• 2: 66671 is at the Air Force Museum It is X-15A-2 built longer with drop tanks.
  
• 3: 66672 crashed with Mike Adams aboard.

The mockup of #3 at Edwards was built by Milt Thompson for the base. (Sources: Jenkins' and Landis' X-15 books)

I saw the Evergreen mockup in Kansas a few years ago - it is very detailed. That said there is a missing mockup that was at Huntsville Space Camp in the 70s? Very Curious!