54 visitusa.org.uk See a mock up of Mercury, the first craft to put u.S. astronauts in space, at the San Diego Air and Space Museum the u.S. is a leader in reaching for the moon, so it’s not surprising there are a number of excellent space museums in various locations. KENNEDY SPACE CENTRE oRLANDo, FLoRIDA Just 45 minutes from orlando, the centre brings to life the epic story of the U.S. space programme. This is a multi-attraction facility with sites that include the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, where visitors can learn about the lives of astronauts, and Space Shuttle Atlantis, for a close-up view of Atlantis and interactive exhibits charting the history, technology and impact of NASA’s Space Shuttle era. A session chatting with an astronaut and an astronaut training experience are among those activities available at an extra cost. The centre offers the closest public viewing of rocket launches: Florida’s aerospace industry is expecting to play host to more than 100 launches in 2024. u.S. SPACE AND RoCKET CENTRE, HuNTSVILLE, ALABAMA This Smithsonian affiliate museum showcases the rockets, achievements, artefacts and memorabilia of the U.S. space programme. Star attractions among an extensive rocket collection include the Apollo 16 Command Module and the Saturn V rocket. Visitors can experience the physics of astronaut training in simulators like Moon Shot and G-Force, or get strapped into the multi-axis trainer to simultaneously rotate, somersault, and roll – like real astronauts. NATIoNAL AIR AND SPACE MuSEuM WASHINGToN D.C. AND VIRGINIA The Museum has two locations: one in Washington, D.C., the other in Virginia. Between them they maintain a huge collection of aviation and space artefacts. The Destination Moon exhibition features objects that include astronaut Alan Shepard's Mercury spacesuit and spacecraft, a Saturn V F-1 engine, and Neil Armstrong's spacesuit and command module Columbia. Armstrong was Commander of the Apollo 11 mission, which landed the first man on the Moon on July 20, 1969. FINDING SPACE REACH FoR THE STARS Boldy go to world-class museums and visitor centres dedicated to America's affinity with space exploration
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