NASA Langley Visitor Center

NASA Langley Visitor Center boasts numerous interactive exhibits and boasts a three billion year old moon rock. According to their website, this facility boasts “world-class capabilities, expertise and state-of-the-art facilities”.

Visitor center is about an hour’s drive from JPL and three from Vandenberg Air Force Base – two major launch locations within continental U.S.

Ames Research Center

Ames Research Center, one of NASA’s ten field centers located south of San Francisco in Silicon Valley, plays a pivotal role in nearly every major NASA mission and initiative, from aeronautics and space science research, meteorology, planetary exploration and human spaceflight research to conducting advanced technology experiments used across the agency.

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Ames researchers often collaborate across disciplines when working, which makes Ames unique and is the source of many breakthroughs. From using wind tunnels to test for airflow issues to studying rocks on Mars, Ames researchers push boundaries of what is possible in their pursuits.

Ames Research Center boasts an illustrious past of achievements and innovative facilities where many aerospace innovations were first pioneered, such as wind tunnels, the blunt body concept for spacecraft design, navigation systems and testing spacesuits for Mercury and Gemini missions, designing flight simulators, building magnetometers deployed on the Moon as well as analyzing lunar samples to search for signs of life.

Since 1939, Ames Laboratory has advanced science and space exploration by exploring its frontiers. When NASA first started out, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) set up laboratories at Moffett Field to research aviation issues – specifically its groundbreaking icing studies which led to solutions which saved many lives during World War II.

Though Ames has since expanded, its core competencies remain at the core of NASA’s strategy. Ames now leads in exoplanet research – providing scientific and management leadership for Kepler mission that has discovered thousands of exoplanets – as well as being an innovative center of space exploration featuring cutting-edge facilities like its new solar coronograph experiment and robotic arm that will soon be deployed on Titan.

Ames Research Center hosts a public visitor center where guests can gain more insight into its work. Exhibits highlight different facets of Ames’ research; one such exhibit features a Science on a Sphere Visualization System which projects planet surfaces onto a sphere; as well as real moon rock displays and an immersive space experience for visitors to experience.

Johnson Space Center

The Johnson Space Center in Houston is home to many innovative facilities that make it one of NASA’s largest field centers. Over its long and distinguished history, its researchers have pioneered many breakthroughs in aerospace research; and its current emphasis on human space exploration make it an exhilarating visit. 

Their cutting-edge technologies help enhance aviation operations while furthering understanding of our planet’s atmosphere as they prepare for space travel into the future.

The Space Center is home to Mission Control, which monitors human space flight missions. Astronauts also train at this historic facility. Visitor facilities and the visitor center are both open for visitors as is its visitor center; about three hours away is Vandenberg Air Force Base where visitors can witness rocket launches.

JSC began as the Space Task Group, which coordinated human spaceflight activities until 1961. By then, however, the project had become so large as to necessitate its own organizational structure and facilities; hence the Manned Spacecraft Center opened in September 1963 as formal operational responsibilities were assumed for Mercury Gemini and Apollo programs at that point – including being equipped with computer buildings, spacecraft-environment chambers and astronaut-training facilities including a large centrifuge.

Today, JSC focuses on the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and human deep space travel. Additionally, the center contributes to ISS operations and research into human aspects of space flight such as efforts to measure and mitigate radiation. JSC engineers are designing and engineering private space transports such as SpaceX or Orbital ATK’s first privately built resupply vehicles which dock at ISS.

Johnson Space Center boasts one of the world’s most spectacular visitor centers and is open to all members of the public. It features various exhibits that showcase astronauts, scientists and engineers’ achievements; there is also a 300-seat IMAX digital theater and educational outreach programs at this center.

The Virginia Air and Space Center is an internationally acclaimed museum and serves as an official NASA Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base visitor center. 

Boasting over 100 hands-on exhibits to teach visitors the history of flight and space exploration, including Adventures in Flight and Space Quest galleries that take visitors on an emotional journey from 17th century Virginia through to Mars colonization, this world-class facility also houses full-size aircraft as well as featuring an IMAX theater.

JPL

JPL is NASA’s go-to center for robotic exploration of planets beyond Earth, leading its $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory mission that deployed a 1-ton rover onto Mars’ surface in 2012. JPL currently manages both Mars 2020 rover mission as well as Voyager probes that travel interstellar space, designed and constructed the Spitzer space telescope which scans infrared light spectrum throughout space, and designed and constructed a Spitzer space telescope which maps out infrared wavelengths in interstellar space.

JPL not only specializes in flagship space exploration missions, but it also designs several smaller Earth observation systems funded by other federal agencies. These include gravity mapping GRACE and its successors as well as cloud research satellites such as CloudSat; it has also developed series of asteroid-spotting telescopes such as Dawn to study dwarf planet Ceres and main belt asteroid 16 Psyche in late 2020s.

As a field center of the National Space Agency, JPL receives primary funding through Congress-approved NASA budget. Projects at JPL range from interplanetary exploration missions with budgets in the billions to smaller Earth observation systems costing hundreds of millions.

JPL receives its majority funding from the federal government; however, partnerships with international space agencies and research institutions add variety and improve its ability to address complex scientific questions. Although only a fraction of JPL’s budget goes toward these projects, they add significant diversity to its portfolio while expanding our scientific capabilities.

JPL provides tours to the public, which often sell out quickly. Their popular free weekend-long Ticket to Explore event in May provides another means for people to experience this facility, featuring galleries and experiences as well as a 300-seat IMAX theater; plus it features their 20-foot space simulator and the Space Flight Operations Facility.

Visitors to JPL are encouraged to explore its historic buildings and cutting-edge laboratories, as well as stop by its visitor center to take in its beautiful display of aerospace history and interactive displays that honor NASA’s many accomplishments – an excellent introduction into robotic exploration that occurs here!

Langley Visitor Center

The NASA Langley Visitor Center provides an amazing glimpse into how technology is revolutionizing life on Earth. Through displays, events and programs that explore previous achievements of past generations paving the way for future breakthroughs; plus it houses some of the latest research in aerospace engineering! It is open free of charge to the public. 

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Situated in Hampton Virginia’s Langley Research Center revolutionizes aviation while expanding understanding of Earth’s atmosphere while developing innovative space exploration technology; all while serving as the basis of NASA science and exploration!

Wallops Flight Facility, NASA’s primary launch site for spacecraft and scientific balloons, also hosts numerous educational and recreational activities for local communities.

In May, Norfolk District unveiled the initial phase of gate construction at Langley. The objective is to reduce congestion caused by large trucks entering the base; to do this, they have constructed the Langley Vehicle Inspection Station or LVIS near Armistead Gate with six workstations, an office for an NCOIC and 31 parking spaces; it will operate Monday-Friday 7:30 am-4.30 pm until early 2020 when completion is expected.

Visit NASA Langley research facility’s website if you would like a virtual tour. The interactive tour features 16 locations spanning from historical landmarks to newer structures; tours are organized according to four main areas of expertise – aeronautics, Earth science, space exploration and transformation.

NASA Langley not only conducts excellent research, but the surrounding area offers much to visitors as well. From beach walks and retro movie theater visits to bed-and-breakfast stays. 

Each year the Langley Mystery Weekend draws crowds, while concerts in state-of-the-art venues await attendees of Langley Mystery Weekend or Concert Weekend – but keep in mind that to enter Joint Base Langley-Eustis you must present either military ID or Department of Defense civilian ID card.