International Space Station Exhibit
Away Team Report!

Here's a repeat of the ISS floor plan. Details can be found here on a larger floor plan and its corresponding legend, or at the ISS exhibit web site.

There was a lot of information packed into this exhibit. It started with a discussion of the history of space flight and space stations. You might recognize some of the people in this picture, like Werhner von Braun at the bottom left. Dr. von Braun developed the V2 rocket for the Germans in World War II and, after he was captured by the Americans late in the war, he was an important player in getting our space rockets safely off the ground. He and his technical team placed the first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, in orbit on January 31, 1958, using the Jupiter-C as a booster. As director of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center in Hutnsville, AL, he developed large space-launch vehicles, notably the Saturn V for the Project Apollo manned lunar program. His dream for a circular space station formed the basis for the space station seen in the movie, "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Each of the countries involved in launching ISS components uses their own launch vehicles:

Here is the vision for the ISS:

A better picture of the model (right) and the maximum allowed speed limit for the ISS (below):

The Horizontal ISS Module/Stage. This set includes the glovebox rack, combustion rack, solar telescope rack, NASA Experiment CD Program, fluids moveable rack, animal habitat rack, hydroponics rack, and a space for commercial product development. The legend says, "Note: WORF in ceiling". Well, I looked and I didn't see him.

ISS model astronauts:

Crew Return Vehicle (left) and Rack Displays (right), including the medical, waste disposal, sleep, shower, and galley racks:

The display says these Coca-Cola cans flew on the space station Mir. Well, they sure look Russian to me!