U.S. Space and Rocket Center

Posted on February 3, 2013 Updated on February 3, 2013

What fun!  Here, on a cold, rainy day, at the home of Space Camp and “Rocket City,” (Huntsville) Alabama, Austin and I enjoyed a full day of continuous interactive learning at the “Math Alive” exhibit presented by Raytheon, and at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration.  Though not cheap, costing us $41.oo (with discounted purchase at Redstone Arsenal ITR) for admission and one IMAX movie, this was the best math learning experience that Austin has ever had.  Even he stated as we left that he “didn’t once get bored.”  An impressive statement if you know Austin well!

Favorites were the IMAX presentation, “Magnificent Desolation,” about the surface of the moon and the astronauts’ advantages and difficulties getting around and working while on the surface, also, even though very difficult, the F-18 Flight Simulator was a fun test on patience and multitasking.  There is even a full size Apache simulator but it comes with a 13-year-old AND 5′ tall requirement in order to be able to operate it but Austin is neither quite yet.

Unfortunately for us, the campus was so large and with so many interactive stations that we couldn’t get to them all, and with the rain on us we spent very little time outside at the numerous displays.  But what could be a better problem than having so many learning opportunities at one site that as hard as you tried, you couldn’t get to them all?  In the end, we both agreed that if ever back in Huntsville, this will again be a must visit!