U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Science museum in Huntsville, Alabama / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about U.S. Space and Rocket Center?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama is a museum operated by the government of Alabama, showcasing rockets, achievements, and artifacts of the U.S. space program. Sometimes billed as "Earth's largest space museum", astronaut Owen Garriott described the place as, "a great way to learn about space in a town that has embraced the space program from the very beginning."[2][3]
Established | 1965 (1965) |
---|---|
Location | Huntsville, Alabama |
Coordinates | 34°42′41″N 86°39′15″W |
Type | Science museum |
Director | Dr. Kimberly Robinson[1] |
Owner | State of Alabama |
Website | rocketcenter.com |
Association of Science-Technology Centers | |
The center opened in 1970, just after the Apollo 12 Moon landing, the second crewed mission to the lunar surface. It showcases Apollo Program hardware, including the Apollo 16 capsule, and also houses interactive science exhibits, Space Shuttle exhibits, and Army rocketry and aircraft.[4] With more than 1,500 permanent rocketry and space exploration artifacts, as well as many rotating rocketry and space-related exhibits, the center occupies land carved out of Redstone Arsenal adjacent to Huntsville Botanical Garden at exit 15 on Interstate 565.[5] The center offers bus tours of nearby NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.[6]
Two camp programs offer visitors the opportunity to stay on the grounds to learn more about spaceflight and aviation. U.S. Space Camp gives an in-depth exposure to the space program through participant use of simulators, lectures, and training exercises. Aviation Challenge offers a taste of military fighter pilot training, including simulations, lectures, and survival exercises. Both camps provide residential and day camp educational programs for children and adults.[7]