Conference 7.286::space

    If you able to arrange it ahead of time, a trip to the NASM archives
    at Silver Hill is well worthwhile. I think there is info in 'Air
    & Space' on arranging such a tour. You cannot just front up at the
    door.
    
    Wallops Island may be worth a visit. I've never been there but will
    one of these days. You may even be able to see a launch of a sounding
    rocket.
    
    gary

    RE: .1 Silver Hill - also known as Paul Garber Facility. That's
    where the Smithsonian restores all the old planes. They have tons
    of them WWI, WWII, etc. The Enola Gay is there.
    There's not much space stuff there but if you're
    interested in old planes, that's the place to go.
    Tours 7 days/wk, but you need to make an appointment. Call Mon-Fri
    202-357-1400. If you're lucky, the tour guide (volunteer) might
    have actually flown some of the planes.
    
    Another place that will blow your socks off is the Dayton, OH air
    museum at the Wright-Patterson AFB. It's worth a special trip there
    because there are planes there that you won't see anywhere else-
    they even had the last B-70 and a YF-12/SR-71.

    re .2
    
    True, they don't have much space stuff but they do have a lot of old
    missile stuff if that is of interest. I think we got a longer tour
    than normal. The group was organised by a well known space and science
    fiction author and consisted of people who had just finished attending
    the World Space Modelling Championships. 
    
    When the guide pointed out some mysterious 'thing' hanging on the wall
    (looked like a giant pancake) that they could not identify but thought
    was Canadian, one of thee group mentioned that he had worked on
    designing it! We ended up spending a full day there. They had just
    started on the Enola Gay and we were allowed to climb around in the
    nose section.
    
    gary 

    	Who was this well known space and science fiction author?
    
    	Larry
    

    G. Harry Stine (aka Lee Correy for some fictional works). He was one of
    the founders of the hobby of model rocketry (space modelling) hence his
    involvement in the world championships in 1980. He seems to do some
    amount of lobbying in Washington on aerospace issues these days.
    
    gary 

    
    re. .2   The Air Force museum at Wright-Pat. gets a second, if only
    for the XB-70 alone.  Make sure you take the shuttle bus over to
    the hanger (you can't drive there) to see the rest of the collection,
    including the YF-12.  What an awesome nasty looking machine! If
    you are ever driving to Indy, it's a quick hour or two detour off
    I-70 (about 15 min travel time -  I-70 to museum). For a quick snack,
    try the resturaunt near the gate on the road in.  There's plaques
    on the walls commerating aviation greats that are worth reading.
    - Chris

Having been to both the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Air Force
Museum in Dayton, I have to say that I enjoyed the latter much more.  Not
as much space stuff in Dayton (which was probably the real intent of this
note in the first place), but actually being able to touch the YF-12, XB-70
and all the other planes I used to just look at in the books was one of the
most enjoyable museum experiences I've ever had.

From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.news.aviation,clari.news.military
Subject: Mercury Seven astronauts dedicate museum
Keywords: space, science, air transport, transportation, air force,
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Date: 11 May 90 23:17:24 GMT
Lines: 56
Approved: [email protected]

	 (UPI) -- Five of the original ``Mercury Seven''
astronauts who carried America into space almost 30 years ago dedicated
a museum and tourist attraction Friday tracing the history of their
pioneering voyages on the high frontier.
	``This is, in fact, another milestone,'' said Alan Shepard, the
first American to be launched into space on May 5, 1961. ``This is the
first time that astronauts of the first group have exhibited things that
are personal and sentimental to them. We hope it will encourage
youngsters to follow in our footsteps.''
	Shepard and four other Mercury Seven astronauts -- Sen. John Glenn,
D-Ohio, Malcolm Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper and Donald ``Deke''
Slayton -- were on hand to formally dedicate the U.S. Astronaut Hall of
Fame, which shares a 37,000-square-foot building with U.S. Space Camp of
Florida.
	Astronaut Virgil ``Gus'' Grissom, killed in a 1967 Apollo
spacecraft fire on the launch pad, was represented by his wife, Betty.
The final member of the exclusive group, Walter ``Wally'' Schirra, was
not able to attend.
	During a news conference, Shepard was sharply critical of the movie
``The Right Stuff'' for implying that Grissom panicked during the second
U.S. manned Mercury mission in July 1961.
	``When his first flight landed, he was in the water, the hatch blew
off unexpectedly, the spacecraft sank, we almost lost Gus then,''
Shepard said.
	``In retrospect, everybody said he got panicky, he was flailing
around and blew the hatch and it was all his fault. We knew immediately
that Gus had not panicked,'' he said.
	Shepard said that within weeks, engineers had determined the hatch
mechanism on Grissom's capsule was overly sensitive and ``Gus was
totally exonerated.''
	``It is a damn shame that Hollywood never got off his back,''
Shepard said. ``Regardless of what the movie said, he did a great job.''
	The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame is located at the entrance to the
Kennedy Space Center, just a few miles from the Cape Canaveral launch
pads where the Mercury astronauts blasted off on their historic voyages,
and Spaceport USA, the fourth most popular tourist attraction in
Florida.
	A self-paced tour of the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame features a
``time tunnel,'' in which visitors can relive early U.S. and Soviet
space launches, and special sections dedicated to the Mercury
astronauts.
	Memorabilia on display include the hand controller Shepard used to
guide his lunar module to the moon's surface, a piece of the Atlas
rocket that boosted Glenn into orbit in 1962 and the spacesuit Grissom
wore during the second Mercury flight.
	The tour ends with a movie highlighting the Mercury flights and
other sections of the museum honor astronauts from the Gemini, Apollo
and shuttle programs.
	``I like the fact that it will be a growing `Hall of Fame,'''
Slayton said in prepared remarks. ``It won't be stagnant, confined just
to the Mercury Seven. We want to have other astronauts honored and other
names will be added.''
	The museum is a joint venture between the non-profit Mercury Seven
Foundation and U.S. Space Camp Foundation. Both organizations raise
money for science scholarship programs.

Last week I visited the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in
Hutchinson, Kansas.  Despite its strange location, its a
first-rate exhibit with backup flight and training hardware from
the various missions.  The following displays were there; all
within close-up or touching distance:

o Mercury capsule
o Gemini capsule
o Appolo capsule
o Lunar landing module
o Space suits including developmental models, flight models, and
  a Soviet suit
o Rocket motors (I was amazed at how small they are)
o Artifacts from the Nazi rocket program, including an ME-163
  Komet motor

The museum is free.  Also on the premisis was a "Omnimax" (is
this like IMAX?) theater for $4.50 and a planetarium show for
$2.50. I would've seen the show which was on flight in general,
but my 2-year old was acting up so I left after about an hour. 
Last week was a 120 deg heat wave in Kansas and it was very
uncomfortable to be there.

Hutchinson is located just northwest of Wichita.  The museum had
a display of future expansion, featuring a full-size space
shuttle.  Also the top floor of the existing museum has a "space
explorer" section for kids, where they can do hands-on things
like shuttle training exercises.  It was closed while I was
there.

Here's an interesting tidbit from the brochure, talking about the
current museum, which BTW is in the center of town:

In February, 1979, ground breaking for the new facility took
place when a signal from the Voyager spacecraft, via laser,
blew a hole in the new lot.

They know how to do it in Kansas!

FWIW, the National Air And Space museum's ribbon-cutting ceremony was initiated
by a signal from one of the Vikings on/around Mars.

Burns

From: [email protected] (Michael E. Bullock)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Shuttle & SR-71: Up close & personal
Date: 5 Sep 90 15:25:29 GMT
Organization: Advanced Decision Systems
  
    Last week my wife and I were in Washington, DC for a week of
sightseeing. After spending time in the Air&Space museum, I decided
I'd really like to be able to see the aircraft that the Air&Space
museum have stored out at the Dulles Airport.  My brother happens to
work for an airline out at Dulles and so he called up the Asst.
Curator of the Smithsonian to see if we could visit their Dulles
facility.  No problem! So the next day we headed out there. You have to
go in through gate #4 (not for public access) and we just indicated
that we had made prior arrangements to visit the facility. We drove
out to an ordinary looking hangar and there it is - the shuttle
Enterprize!  The hangar must have been built around it since there is
no way it could have fit through the door. My biggest impression was
how BIG the shuttle is! I don't think we appreciate just how big it is
when we see it on the pad - but up close and personal - INCREDIBLE! We
were allowed to walk around & basically do what we wanted. Though the
nose wheel was still on, the main gear had been removed and it rested
on jacks. Though it had a layer of dust on it :-( , it looked as
though it was in good condition.  We didn't get to see inside, but
evidently it is pretty much gutted. 
 
    There was an Apollo module sitting close to it and it made quite a
sight. By comparing the two, you can get a feel for how far we have
really come in a short period of time.  There were several other
interesting vehicles in the hangar stuffed wherever there was room:
B-17, F-4, even parts to an airship.  I'm amazed I hardly even noticed
them due to my fixation on the Enterprize! 
 
    Afterwards, we drove down the road to see the SR-71.  It is parked
outside on a concrete pad built for it.  There is a fence around it,
but the guy let us in. Once again we could poke around and examine it
in detail. Unfortunately, the cockpit had a metal cover over it, so we
weren't able to look in there.  Despite earlier reports on the net of
how this aircraft is rusting away - it was in good condition.  I asked
the guy in charge of restoring it how the titanium skin stands up in
the weather - he said that it is one the of the best aircraft for
standing up to the elements.  He also related some stories and facts
about the aircraft - like the time when President Reagan had an SR-71 
do a fly-by of Fidel Castro's home in Cuba in the middle of the night 
at tree-top level.  ZOWIE - what a way to be woken up in the morning! 
 
    So after about an hour the tour ended.  I feel very lucky to get a
chance to actually touch and inspect a space shuttle!  Supposedly, a
museum will be built out at Dulles, but it is all entrenched in
politics & budget problems for now. Don't look for a museum out there
for at least 3-4 years.  The people out there seemed pleased to
accommodate us - so I'd imagine that others could arrange to see their
facility at Dulles in the future if you take the time to make arrangements. 
  
    Mike Bullock
    Advanced Decision Systems
    Mountain View, CA

    re .11
    
    Is that the only place they keep their extra planes? I saw an article
    once about the Smithsonian's extra aircraft, and it (as best I
    remember) talked about lots of WWII birds, including and ME262 and
    ME163, I think. Were those where you went as well, or do they have
    another site?
    
    Cheers!
    
    Charlie

You're asking someone who isn't on the net - reply .11 is from the USENET...

The Smithsonian has a refurbishment facility outside of D.C.  -- they
have a lot of aircraft there in various stages of preparation and
disintegration.   You can get tours of that facility by contacting the
Smithsonian (I don't recall if they are daily or not -- but you just can't
show up).


The author of .11 visited a "lot" at Dulles airport - also outside of D.C.
That's where the Smithsonian keeps aircraft that are too big to be moved
to either Washington or the other facility.  The shuttle Enterprise is
located there.


The Air & Space Museum has been floating a proposal as to the disposition of
the aircraft at this "lot".  The idea was to build an annex to the NASM
at Dulles -- several other states/airports wanted to be the site of the
annex as well (they feel that Washington has too big a piece of the pie).
I thought I had read that it was decided that Dulles would be the site for
the annex, and the Smithsonian was starting on fundraising.

Re: .11 was the first I had heard of public access to the Dulles annex.


- dave

RE:    <<< Note 238.12 by 7928::CRUTCHFIELD "Where Angels fear to tread..." >>>

The Silver Hill facility is the major restoration and storage part of the NASM.
						-- Tom

    re: .13 & .14
    
    Thanks! Next time I'm in DC, I'll look into it. I'd love to see some of
    those planes.
    
    Cheers!
    
    Charlie

From: [email protected] (Pete Jarvis)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Shuttle & SR-71: Up close & personal
Date: 10 Sep 90 13:18:36 GMT
Organization: <32}%[email protected]>o
 
    In article <32}%[email protected]> [email protected] (Michael E. Bullock) writes:

> We drove out to an ordinary looking hangar and there
>it is - the shuttle Enterprize!  The hangar must have been built around
>it since there is no way it could have fit through the door. My biggest
>impression was how BIG the shuttle is! I don't think we appreciate just
>how big it is when we see it on the pad - but up close and personal -
>INCREDIBLE! 
<<stuff deleted>>
>So after about an hour the tour ended.  I feel very lucky to get a chance
>to actually touch and inspect a space shuttle!
 
    You can also see up close, the first Shuttle built. Pathfinder,
full size, and made for tooling and fitting purposes, is mounted on an
External Tank with 2 SRB's strapped to it. It is at the Huntsville,
Al. Space and Rocket Center mounted horizontally with a slightly nose
up attitude. 
 
    Peter Jarvis

RE:                     -< The path to find Shuttle PATHFINDER >-

Pathfinder is a very primitive "shuttle."  Whereas Enterprise was air-rated
(for the Approach and Landing Tests) and thus was structurally a real orbiter,
Pathfinder was originally built as a pretty crude mockup which, externally,
only very vaguelly resempled an orbitter.  All flat surfaces, sort of like a
giant styrofoam model.  The Japanese paid for the exterior remodelling which
was done to make it look like an orbitter, in preparation for display at some
exposition.
						-- Tom

        re: .14 ... re: .12 ...
        
        The Paul Garber facility in Silver Hill is the NASM "warehouse"
        and restoration facility. Tours are limited to one group of 50,
        and are only on Saturday. Very advance registration is required. I
        was part of a group that went thru there in August of 1989.
        
        As the guide told us, this is the air and no space museum, as they
        are very much out of space to put things. Garber is more than a
        dozen large sheds. The largest is the workshop where they do their
        restoration. Several are museum quality displays of stuff that
        they don't have room for in the NASM, either because it was
        rotated out to display something else, or just never made it in.
        Most of the buildings contain stuff that they just haven't got to
        yet. When I was there they were just about to start restoration on
        the Enola Gay.
        
        The short tour is over 3 hours, the long tour can easilly break 5
        hours. There are no "facilities" along the tour, and none of the
        buildings other than the shop are either heated or air
        conditioned. On a hot summer day it can be like spending 5 hours
        in a sauna. Be well fed and appropriately dressed before you go.
        Bring a camera, flash, and LOTS of film.

    Hello all
    	Can someone please advise me.  I am visiting the USA over the
    summer, and I plan to travel all over for a month.  Apart from the Cape
    and kennedy space centre, can anyone recommend other 'spacey' places to
    visit.  Any help would be gratefully appreciated.
    
    
    Cheers
    
    Will Childs
    Warrington CSC
    Vms
    England
    7 851 2831
     

If you will be anywhere near Washington D.C. hit up the Air and Space Museum 
(hard to miss, its on the quad with the rest of the smithsonian, washington
moument at one end and capitol (Lincoln memorial? I'm confused) at other.
Lots of stuff here from mecury capsules, to Gemini and apollo capsules, even
a moon rock you may touch.

Also if you are an aircraft fanatic you'll want to see the Paul E. Garber
restoration facility in nearby silver Springs Maryland. Admission here is by
calling up and setting up with one of the 2 tours that goes out daily. The tour
guides are retired folk that do it for fun. The layout is awful (big garages of
stuff dimly lit, but what do you want it is for storage and restoration) but the
stuff that is there is INCREDIBLE For example,I saw 3 different german ww2
jets/rocket craft, and NONE was an me262 (thats in the main mueseum). Also there
is the Enola Gay (b29 that dropped first atomic bomb)  and much other WW2 stuff
(the modern stuff is packed so cheek by jowl that you cant even walk in the
building for safety reasons). There is some space stuff at the Garber facility,
but not much. 

The other aircraft addicts dream is Wright Patterson AF base in Ohio (city??
HELP), which houses the Air Force Mueseum. My understanding is they pretty much
have one of everything the US air force has flown.

Thanks,
Keith Comeford

    cheers everyone, I shall look forward to visiting.