Mayo 12, 2005
Huntsville Space Center
So I went on the fourth grade field trip to the Huntsville Space Center. I always enjoy the space center, but I think I like it better with just our family. Today I was not only accompanied by the entire CCS fourth grade, but 15 bus loads of kids from other schools as well. That made for a whole lot of sweaty kid smell inside the "G Force Simulator", which is otherwise enjoyable. I highly recommend the "Space Shot" which I rode by myself last time we were there as a family (Stephen stayed with the kids, none of whom was tall enough at the time). Today Ethan got the courage up to join me. This is the Space Shot:
There are three seats on each of the four sides of the tower. You are strapped in facing out, feet dangling. Then, without warning, you are "shot" 140 feet straight up, experiencing 4Gs of pressure on the way. You then "float" weightless at the top for the longest 1-3 seconds of your life, then plummet about half way down the tower before being caught and then released again to fall the rest of the way. The whole ride lasts less than a minute, but it's a very intense minute. Here's a shot of some of Ethan's friends who went before us.
I also enjoyed the climbing wall which is part of the Mars exhibit. I have always loved to climb anything climbable (is that a word?) but have not had the opportunity to try a climbing wall for free before. Ethan, Leighanne Tucker and I went together. It was definitely fun, but I would like to have had more time to play around and explore different routes more. I did get to the top, and I was a little pleased with myself because neither Ethan nor Leighanne, who get to practice on the wall at CCS a lot, made it all the way up. Here's a shot of me trying to coach Leighanne the rest of the way up:
In Ethan and Leighanne's defense, I really think I got an easier section of wall than they did. And I'm guessing they won't be a sore as I will be tomorrow.
Please tell me you checked out the museum too. :) It's probably the best space museum in the world. I recommend everybody take a trip and remember when space seemed like magic.
Posted by: Ed Sunder at Mayo 12, 2005 10:48 PMYes, we spent about 2 1/2 hours in the museum, which is indeed wonderful. I realize my focus probably seemed more on the rides in my blog, and with good reason. We've visited both the Huntsville and Kennedy Space Centers several times as a family, and it's always been soley about the museum aspect for us, in part because all of our five kids were too young to enjoy the rides, and in part because it's easier to explore when you are not part of a huge group of people who have predetermined your agenda.
This trip was different for me personally, because my oldest son is in the fourth grade. It is the first time of many visits that he has been tall enough to ride and old enough to enjoy that aspect of the center. He is also at an age where he has become more interested in impressing friends and antagonizing girls than in Buzz Aldrin or Neil Armstrong. I'm glad we capitalized on his "space craze" when he was 5 and visited both Kennedy and Huntsville in the same year while studying everything we could on space at home. He loved it. But this time I decided to just let him be a fourth grader and enjoy the things he enjoys. I may not have much time left where he will want me to hang out with his friends, and while they were grateful for the help I offered on their questions in the museum, it wasn't until I did the climbing wall that I overheard one of Ethan's friends say, "Man, Ethan, your mom is so cool." I was relieved to hear he still agrees. At least for now. . . :)