|
Author
|
Topic: Visiting NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
|
Fezman92
Member Posts: 1031
From: New Jersey, USA
Registered: Mar 2010
|
posted 10-23-2011 09:51 PM
   
This spring break (March 12-18, 2011) I plan to spend a day on a "NASA Tour" in which I go to Goddard then take the Metro into DC then come home. I have it figured out as to when I leave my home (5:30-6ish — I give myself a good hour or so when I am going to a major city area because of traffic) to when I get to Goddard. How long is the usual amount of time that is spent a Goddard? Once I know that I can plan the rest of my adventure (NASM, NASA HQ). I want to get home (southern NJ) by 11:00-11:30 the latest. (I am giving myself an hour for lunch and an hour for dinner. I have a somewhat good idea of the rush hour in that area when I came back from STS-134, which is a good hour and a half or so.) |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
|
posted 10-24-2011 08:23 AM
Piers Sellers is now at Goddard. |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1512
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
|
posted 10-24-2011 06:19 PM
The Goddard Visitor Center is not large, so an hour there would probably be plenty. Not sure if tours of the center are still available, so I can't give you a hack on that. |
MarylandSpace
Member Posts: 1337
From:
Registered: Aug 2002
|
posted 10-25-2011 12:15 PM
There is an Apollo 14 moon tree outside the front entrance, a small rocket garden outside the rear entrance, and a few exhibits inside including a "climb in" Gemini. If I recall correctly Goddard lost its' Gemini to Chicago a few years ago.They also have a nice gift shop in a separate building. |
328KF
Member Posts: 1234
From:
Registered: Apr 2008
|
posted 10-25-2011 01:19 PM
Yes, unfortunately (for Goddard) they did lose the Gemini XII spacecraft to Chicago due in large part to the efforts of Jim Lovell. I used to enjoy the quietness of Goddard...it allowed you unlimited time to look around the ship and picture what it must have been like to live in such a small spacecraft.Having said that, the new venue in Chicago is far more impressive with all of Lovell's other memorabilia around, and more of the ship is visible to the public. So, sadly, there isn't much left of the Goddard visitor center. I would say it can all be easily covered in an hour. They have a moon rock on display, but the highlight was certainly the Gemini. The gift shop is a hidden surprise, though. They have a great selection of NASA gear and a large stock of patches, some not often seen in the bigger museum shops. Also, check their schedule for weekend model rocket events. They used to do those once a month right on the visitor center grounds, and those draw a good crowd. |
idrvball
Member Posts: 150
From: Burke, VA USA
Registered: Mar 2009
|
posted 08-04-2012 11:46 AM
I was driving by the Goddard Space Flight Center the other day and wondering if anyone has visited there before and if it was worth making going to see it. I saw on their website that they had a visitor's center, but, I never really hear about Goddard and what they have. Any opinions or advice? Editor's note: Threads merged. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3208
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
|
posted 03-27-2013 02:17 PM
Interesting 1970 article here on page 2 about the Emergency Mission Control Center (EMCC) that was located at the Goddard Space Flight Center during the later Apollo flights. |
JBoe
Member Posts: 960
From: Churchton, MD
Registered: Oct 2012
|
posted 01-16-2014 02:12 PM
I haven't been to the Visitor Center for a while and decided to make a trip to see if there were any new items. As it turns out the center is gearing up for the launch of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite-L (TDRS-L) and had a banner displayed. I also picked up a decal and lithograph from the visitor center.  |
advertisement