Team India !

I've said it before, I am proud of my country. 
I hope that I am not obnoxiously so, but I am. 

So, last weekend, when I had an opportunity to take a few friends,
visiting from India, and show them around, I took them to visit N.A.S.A. 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

As we drove along the highway, we passed a new car dealership.  My friend Anil remarked that in India, flags are flown on certain national holidays, so maybe only twice a year.  He was surprised to see all the flags of the USA, flown in so many sizes, and in so many places.  I suppose others are proud to show "their colors" as well.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Well, if you are not aware, Houston is home to N.A.S.A's Johnson Space Center.  As soon as a manned space flight takes off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Houston takes over and controls the rest of the flight.  Many of you will remember "Houston...We have a problem."  But my favorite is "Houston...Tranquility Base here...The Eagle has landed," which includes the first word spoken from the surface of the moon..."Houston".

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

The visiting team is one that goes to various sites, in various places around the world, and commissions the equipment we make.  They came to Houston to visit and train, and I wanted to show them around a bit, as a thank you for several jobs well done.

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Before we even got inside, one of the team was recruited by a group from the Ukraine to take their photo.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

The main entry hall of Space Center Houston, the visitor's center at N.A.S.A.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Imagine squeezing into a space suit, and then cramming yourself, all alone, into this MERCURY Capsule, sitting atop a rocket (that was still very early in it's own development) and blasting off in one of the first attempts to reach orbit with a manned vehicle.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Team Leader, Anil.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

A docking assembly, used back in the SKY LAB days,

as new supplies and changes of crews arrived.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 SKY LAB's interior was quite a large space, for experiments, exercise, etc.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 The Lunar Lander...

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 On the Flight Deck of the shuttle.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

The Mock-Up Building, where all sorts of equipment, built by various countries, is set up and used for training or, as was shown in the movie "Apollo 13", where technicians can use the mock-ups to solve problems and send solutions up to crews in space.

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

The "next big thing", ORION, just recently tested in unmanned mode.  It's shape is like APOLLO, but it carries six (vs three for APPOLO) for shorter missions, or four for Mars-length missions.

 

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

The old, and huge, SATURN V Rocket,

that lifted the heavy moon missions, and SKYLAB, into space.

 

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin



Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

There is a wall covered with crew photos from the many missions. 

The team looked up Ms. Kalpana Chawla, of India,

who flew on several Shuttle missions (center of photo).

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

The next Astronaut Corps !

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

...the tram back to the visitor's center.

And finally, a seafood dinner down at the Kemah Boardwalk.

 

On the back, we drove over the Fred Hartmen Bridge

(my grandmother used to work for Mr. Hartman).

 

Photo by Mark W. Laughlin

The U.S.A.
Come see us !!

- Mark