United States Astronaut Hall of Fame

United States Astronaut Hall of Fame Review

The original Mercury 7 team and the later Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and shuttle astronauts contributed to make the hall of fame the world's premium archive of astronauts' personal stories. Authentic memorabilia and equipment from their collections tell the story of human space exploration. You can watch videotapes of historic moments in the space program and see one-of-a-kind items like Wally Schirra's relatively archaic Sigma 7 Mercury space capsule, Gus Grissom's space suit (colored silver only because NASA thought silver looked more "spacey"), and a flag that made it to the moon. The exhibit First on the Moon focuses on crew selection for Apollo 11 and the Soviet Union's role in the space race. Don't miss Simulation Station, a hands-on discovery center with interactive exhibits that help you learn about space travel. One of the more challenging activities is a space-shuttle simulator that lets you try your hand at landing the craft—and afterward replays a side view of your rolling and pitching descent.

If you want to live the life of an astronaut, consider enrolling in Astronaut Training Experience (ATX, $145). Held at the hall of fame, it immerses you in an exciting combination of hands-on training and preparation for the rigors of space flight. Veteran NASA astronauts helped design the program, and you hear first-hand from them as you progress through an exciting day of mission simulation and exploration at the busiest launch facility on Earth. The cost includes spaceflight simulators, full-scale space shuttle mission simulation, meet and greet with a NASA astronaut, and ATX gear. Age restrictions apply. Space is limited (no pun intended), so call well in advance.