Interestingly, the rest stop with the Luna Lander (as identified by Dad) is the same location as the Space Center. There is a rest stop, a Mississippi Welcome Center and the Space Center (I keep wanting to say Space Station but that isn't very accurate!) tour, all in the same location.
When I was driving to Keesler and passed this location I also passed signs telling me I was entering and leaving the Stennis Space Center buffer zone. Not knowing what went on at this Center, the only thing I could imagine is the buffer was needed in the event of an accident. But that is not the case.
The Stennis Space Center tests engines. They tested the Saturn V rocket engines for the Apollo missions, and they now also test all of the Shuttle engines. However, with the shuttles being taken out of service, the last time they tested a shuttle engine was in 2009, I think. They also test rocket engines that are used to send satellites into space.
So, the buffer zone is for noise. The Saturn V rocket engines are so loud that they could be heard in Mobile, Alabama, over 100 miles away, AND, they registered as a small earthquake on the earthquake sensing equipment. Crazy.
They had a special parking lot for the public to come and watch the tests. If you got any closer than that parking lot, your car windows would shatter. My question was, how is it possible to protect your hearing against that kind of noise?
Before 9/11 (so much has changed) you could drive your car onto the Center, up to the visitor's center, and take a bus from there to see the engine test stands. Now, you load up the bus at the Rest Stop/ MS Welcome Center and are bussed to the Visitor's Center from there. Surprisingly, the entire tour is FREE.
And with that introduction, we move into the photos:
A Lego display at the loading area to tour the John C. Stennis Space Center. Also called the StenniSphere.
We were bussed on to the center from the Welcome Center due to 9/11 Security Concerns. The Center tests rocket and Space Shuttle engines.
This canal was man-made to transport the Saturn V rockets since they were too huge to be transported by truck. So the canal was dug to transport them by barge. The locks were designed after the Panama Canal.
The center has all kind of government agencies that share it. I see this symbol in Oxnard all the time.
The NORA does a lot of work with buoys. They collect weather data.
The engine test stand! This the the test stand B. The biggest one. It is huge!
Another view. It is anchored over 100ft into the ground so it does not take off when the engines are tested.
Test stand number 1 and 3 with another one being built in the back left.
Lots of steps. It gets super hot (forget that actual temperature, but hot enough to melt the steel) so they use lots and lots of water to keep everything cool during tests.
Bye engine test stand!
A giant horn. It turns 360 degrees and blasts noise before a test. If sensors pick up noise, then they don't test on those days. The noise level can be affected by cloud cover and the like. Property damage due to noise is a concern they say. But what about all the building on the center? And the worker's cars?
A ship shape buoy. You can see why it is called that.
A Saturn V engine. It is huge!
It is I!
Some of the workings of the rocket engine.
A model only. Much smaller than an actual Saturn V rocket.
A Moon Tree. One of the Apollo Astronauts, from Biloxi, took seeds to the moon with him. When he came back the seeds were planted in several locations. This is one of them. Thinking about it now, it seems like maybe the tree should be bigger, since it was planted many years ago.
Four small towns were removed to make the buffer zone, which is hundreds of thousands of acres. In and around the towns are now archeological digs. This large projectile point is the oldest artifact discovered and is thought to be over 8000 years old.
Moon rock.
An Apollo capsule. The one at the Huston Space Center was better. I could touch it.
The pit that was dug for one of the test stands.
| A display of one of the other gov. agencies that shares Stennis. This was actually very dark in here but my flash ruined it. |
The actual height of the Saturn V rocket. HUGE!
Some components for the shuttle engines.
A shuttle landing simulator. I failed badly. The computer told me I need more training and shut off before I could crash.
Marla on the moon! I think I must have gotten a height waiver in order to be accepted as an astronaut.
International Space Station toilet (reproduction.)
Sleeping quarters. There are three people on the station at all times, but only 2 sleeping quarters. ? The display said the third person is allowed to sleep wherever the commander says is ok, as long as they anchor themselves down. One lady looking at the display next to me kept asking, "They sleep standing up then?" Obviously she has never read Ender's Game, etc.
I'm so cool. Or hot. Not sure which one is better.
Engine test stand control room mock up. Looks very retro.
Close up of the outside of the Apollo Capsule. Kind of a mind trip to realize this thing was actually on the moon at one point.
The StenniSphere also had displays about the local area, including a swamp display with this turkey.
The barge bringing in the rocket. The Army Corps of Engineers built the canal and locks.
Solid rocket fuel booster from the Space Shuttle.
Me again. Looking small.
They use that tower to observe the test stand.
I realized this number had significance to me, so I took a picture.
Tour is over. Back at the rest stop/ welcome center. The Lunar Lander at the Rest Stop/ Welcome Center from a more stationary perspective.
A small swamp. Or maybe just a puddle.
Jefferson Davis and his Bullmastiff? Kind of a funny looking dog. The caption says the dog's name is Traveler, which is the same name that Robert E. Lee's horse had. So was one named after the other, or was it just a popular name for the time? Traveler is also the name of the USC Trojan horse. I'm not sure of the connection there.
At the Welcome Center there were various Marti Gras Gowns. However, there was no signage explaining them.
NASA gown.
At the welcome center I also picked up some brochures and maps of other places to visit. I found one that takes you on a ride up one of the rivers and gives you a swamp tour! Put me down for that one.
1 comment:
Great photos! I love the history and tour information on both of your posts this weekend. It is like a virtual vacation for me!
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