For kids who want to be astronauts, the Visitor Center at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland offers many exciting and fun ways to learn more about the program’s past, present and planned explorations of our solar system. And, from April through October, visitors can register in advance for special Saturday programs, some conducted by NASA research personnel.
Home to an auditorium and 6,000 square feet of gallery space; the Center boasts an interactive experience where kids of all ages can take part in the NASA dream. The special Saturday programs often include presentations by research scientists or pilots, or they may include site visits to research facilities, such as the Center’s Dome of Silence.
The topics change throughout the month, and tours highlighting research in flight, the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the rocket manufacturing facility at the center are included.
Within the Visitor Center itself there are numerous displays. A favorite stop is the flight simulator, where youngsters can sit in an actual cockpit and pilot their own flight over Ohio. Kids also like to activate the microgravity Drop Tower, and at the short-wave radio station, N8VC, you can listen in as a volunteer amateur radio operator speaks about Star Station One. In the auditorium, guests can watch a recent video of Star Station One personnel performing in-flight activities, or watch live broadcasts of launches and landings.
Research helps us learn, and these learning experiences are great fun for the whole family.