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Catching a flight in Houston will be a much more inspirational affair these days thanks to a new partnership between the Houston Airport System (HAS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The two longtime proponents of Houston’s rich aeronautic history are teaming to present a temporary cultural exhibit which showcases space-related artifacts, on display at both George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and William P. Hobby airports (HOU). During the coming months NASA will be highlighting some of the most memorable pieces from its Johnson Space Center operation, here in Houston.
Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Johnson Space Center and NASA’s exhibits at Bush and Hobby seek to commemorate the occasion.
Named after former President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Johnson Space Center was inaugurated in 1958 and today is home to Mission Control Center (MCC-H). MCC-H is the control center that coordinates and monitors all human spaceflight for the United States. Part of the flight training astronauts undergo is completed at the space centers fixed based facility at Ellington Field.
The exhibits at Bush and Hobby will showcase past, present, and future aerospace missions. Some of the pieces have traveled into outer space while others highlight advancements in space technology.
“We’re really excited about this program”, says Pam Ingersoll, art coordinator for the Houston Airport System. “These pieces are scientific and cultural treasures, not just for Houston but for people all over the world who dream when they look up into the sky. Our airports are perfect venues to display such an uplifting and encouraging collection.”
One of the main attractions of the exhibit is sure to be the artifact known as the Robonaut on display at IAH. Robonaut is described as an ultramodern version of NASA’s current robotic arm.
“He’s the future of robotics in space,” said Robert Lazaro, public affairs specialist for NASA. “The harshness of space is a very difficult environment for humans to work in so they’re developing a lot of new systems such as robots to help out the astronauts as they conduct experiments and repairs in space.” |
