Since I was 10 years old, I have wanted to be an astronaut. I can honestly say that, if I had 21 million dollars, I would spend 20 million of it on a trip into space with the Russian space program. I know that all my NASA friends just cringed, but I can't help it...I would abolutely die if I got to go into space. I think it's so cool.
So, in spite of the fact that I have lived within walking distance of NASA for five years (that's not an exaggeration, one of my old running routes was a 7-mile loop around Johnson Space Center), I have not really been on site. Part of me didn't want to go because I knew that it might not be everything I dreamed about or I would get so wrapped up in it and get obsessed. I know that you are all saying to yourselves, "Jenny get obsessed? Never!" : ) But, a friend of mine works with training and he gave me the coolest tour EVER!!!
I don't really remember the order of everything because I was so in awe, but I got to sit in the simulator where the astronauts train for take-off and landing. I was very overwhelmed by all of the switches there. Then, we went to where my friend works and I got to use the simulator for the robotic arm, which is what he works on. It's like a planetarium with a part of the shuttle inside it and it really kind of feels like you're moving because you can only see through the windows. He did a sim where he docked the shuttle with the space station. We only crashed into it once : ) I got to throw something into space. It was so awesome. I LOVED it!!!!The best part, though, was when we went into the Mission Control building. We couldn't really see in and they were doing a sim, but we ran into someone that Matt knew and he had some extra phone or something. So, completely by chance, I got to go into the REAL Mission Control and sit on one of the consoles and listen in while they did a landing sim. I had white knuckles from holding the phone to my ear while I was listening to them and I was smiling like an idiot the entire time. It was the COOLEST THING THAT I HAVE EVER DONE!!! I am not kidding when I say that I think that was the best day of my entire life. Seriously, I can't think of a better day ever!
So, I'm an official geek. Make fun of me all you like. And all my NASA friends, please don't brag about how you get to do this all the time...it was a once-in-a-life time experience for me and I LOVED it!
2 comments:
that is so awesome! i've never been obsessed with nasa like you but i definitely got excited for you reading your experience. and yes, the obsession thing is not so much a surprise :)
Congrats on getting to live your dream, somewhat. You really did express your enjoyment of this day very well. It was fun to read about. I'm like stacy and never been NASA obsessed, but I loved reading your excitment especially of getting to listen in.
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