The focal point of the museum is the rockets. The museum houses the original Mercury and Gemini trainer capsules. The original Apollo 16 capsule is also on display here, as is a replica of the Apollo 11 Saturn V. The Mercury program was the first American program to put a man in space, and Gemini was America's second manned space flight program. The significance of the Apollo program was in its purpose -- to bring man to and back from the moon.
The Davidson Center for Space Exploration is the first exhibit a visitor to the museum encounters. The Saturn V rocket is in this area. The main purpose of the Davidson Center is to showcase the role of NASA and the Marshall Space Flight Center. The Davidson Center covers 68,200 square feet and has a 350-seat 3-D theater that presents special films. The Marshall Space Flight Center is where NASA develops its rockets and vehicles for outer space.
The Challenge is an exhibit whose name refers to President John F. Kennedy's challenge to the country to send men to the moon. The exhibit focuses on the transformation of Huntsville as the Marshall Space Flight Center was built. The time period it covers runs from the 1940s through the 1960s. Two arsenals, the Huntsville and Redstone arsenals, were established in Huntsville during World War II. The army transferred Dr. Von Braun to Huntsville to begin work with the arsenal teams. Their success transformed Huntsville into America's missile development center, which became known as the Marshall Space Flight Center.
The Space and Rocket Center has a German V-2 rocket. This rocket holds importance because it was the first man-made object to leave Earth's atmosphere. It also was a prototype for later American rockets. The Germans developed the V-2 rocket in World War II. A 5 1/2-ton rocket could travel 120 miles. It was a major weapon for Germany against England. The V-2 was developed by Dr. Von Braun.
The Apollo Courtyard has an upright replica of the Saturn V rocket. Alumni and other supporters of the center have sponsored bricks that are incorporated into the courtyard. The bricks stand as a testament to people who support the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
The Force, an exhibit sponsored by Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne, simulates a test fire of an F-1 engine. The F-1 rocket engine is the engine that propelled the massive Saturn rocket and allowed man to reach the moon. The F-1 is more powerful than any other single-chamber fuel cell rocket engine in the world.
