Monday, February 28, 2011

Pictures

I promised you pictures and I have LOTS of pictures for you.  259 of them to be exact.  LOL!  Okay, I won't show all of them here.  That's just how many the hubby took on my camera.  You got that right.  He was so excited that he just had to have the camera.  I can't exactly blame him; we were in front of displays of one of his life's dreams and his life's work as well. 

We went to Kennedy Space Center.  It was very interesting and we had a lot of fun too.  Of course, we learned a lot too. 

Did you know that from space we now have invented or improved:

  • the ability to perform precise surgery on cancers
  • cochlear implants that allow many deaf people to hear
  • scratch resistant lenses in your glasses
  • padding in sports equipment
  • better water purification for developing countries and your pool too
  • baby foods and formulas that are more nutritionally sound
  • flat screen televisions
  • home security systems
  • smoke detectors
  • athletic shoes
  • art preservation
  • fogless goggles
  • portable coolers and warmers
  • dustbuster
  • shock absorbing helmets
  • programmable pacemakers
  • and many more?
You have all seen this famous building.

Did you know that after the shuttle lands, it is towed into this building in a horizontal or flat position?  It is then inspected and repaired and then lifted to a vertical position--inside the building?  It then goes though many, many more inspections and repairs (if needed) before it is once again towed outside to the launch pad on a crawler that moves one (yes, 1) mile per hour but can deliver the shuttle as precisely as within 1/8th of an inch to its desired location.  I bet we have more trouble parallel parking than they do.  LOL!

Here's a picture of our kiddos in front of a display shuttle. 

The part the hubby helped design is right up front.  The escape capsule which includes the windows behind which the crew sits.  He worked on it following the Challenger accident.

And here's another of our kiddos in a lunar rover.

And here is what was supposed to replace the shuttle program:

We hope Congress will come to their senses and fund it after all. 

Anyway, here's a picture I am particularly proud of:

That's the hubby in front of a mural of the International Space Station.  He designed part of it too:  the life support and communication systems.  This included the oxygen and temperature control systems and the ability to communicate with Earth without "blind spots."

Can you tell my hubby always wanted to go into space?  LOL! 

We had a fun two days at Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center.  It may have even inspired our son to reach for the stars as well.  At the end of the day, he didn't ask for a toy from the gift shop; he wanted a t-shirt that said "Failure Is Not An Option."

Until next time, Happy Creative Time!

11 comments:

Shirley Clark said...

I've had the privilege of visiting the space center in 1996 (Florida) and had a wonderful time. In 1998, I visited the one in TX. I'm glad you added all the information. I had forgotten some of it. I'm sure your kids will remember this for the rest of their lives!

jzayler said...

We visited the space center last year. I had been there about 10 years ago and they had really improved it a lot since then. It was actually a lot more interesting this time. I hope with the end of the space shuttle they still keep the center open. I think if more people visited it our space program would have a lot more support. You really get to see that it's not just about being the first person on moon anymore.

Ginger (Games) said...

Cool! Love them all.

Vicki said...

That's awesome, Ileana! You and your children must be so very proud of your husband.

Thank you for sharing the pictures and the information!

TonyaKaye said...

Oh wow. What a wonderful trip. The closest I have come to visiting is The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center a Smithsonian affiliated space museum in Hutchinson, Kansas. They have a bunch of interesting exibits. I love it there.

Caroline said...

What a wonderful place to visit, especially with such personal memories!

Anna said...

Wow what an awesome way to spend a day. Just wonderful that you share with us. Love it!!!

2KutiesGrandma said...

We went to the shuttle launch last Thursday. Part of the experience is being there with other people - we were near a retired fireman from Detroit who was yelling "We can do this stuff" "We are the greatest country on the planet" as the shuttle was launched. I think the politicians need to understand just how much national pride there is in the space program!!

Barbara said...

We live in central Florida and will miss watching each shuttle lift-off. Our youngest son went to Space Camp at the Cape and we've all been huge fans of the space program. It is so embarrasing that our astronauts will have to come back to Earth in an old fashioned Russian capsule. Discovery's demise is the demise of American pride in space exploration.

Sue aka barracudasue said...

It looked and sounded like a phenomenal day for everyone! What a great thing to do with the kids! I'd LOVE to go there some day!

Lisa Avolio said...

What a wonderful trip! Loved hubby's photos, plus the one you took of him. Hope the space program gets funding so it can continue improving our lives.