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NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration

John C. Stennis Space Center
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000       KSB-03-069
(228) 688-3341         June 2, 2003

Lanee Cooksey    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NASA News Chief
(228) 688-3341

HAVE A BLAST THIS SUMMER AT STENNISPHERE

HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. - This summer, do something fun, educational
and entertaining - that won't break the family's budget. Visit
StenniSphere, Stennis Space Center's award-winning visitor center in
Hancock County, where you and your family can "go aboard" the
International Space Station or be transported to Mars! You'll find
these adventures and more at Stennis, America's largest rocket test
complex and discover why all astronauts travel into space on engines
tested at Stennis Space Center. 

The visitor center is open daily and free of charge. A world of space
adventure is featured in 14,000 square feet of interactive exhibits.
Visitors can try their hand at piloting the Space Shuttle in a
realistic cockpit simulator; walk through a mock-up of the
International Space Station to see how astronauts live and work; sit
at the controls of a Space Shuttle Main Engine test in the Test
Control Center exhibit; take a walk under the sea; and more. 

Outdoor exhibits include real rocket engines - including F-1 and J-2
engines that powered the Saturn V, the rocket that took take
Americans to the Moon - a Space Shuttle Main Engine and solid rocket
booster; a scale model of the Saturn V Moon rocket; a 68-foot Jupiter
C rocket; a Learjet used in NASA's remote sensing applications; a
full-scale NOMAD data buoy; a realistic Mars habitat; a covered
pavilion; and picnic area. 

Added attractions include a 1960s-style diner, the RocKeTeria, a
motion simulator ride ($4 for children ages 14 and under; $5 for
adults) and the Space Odyssey Gift Shop, with out-of-this-world
souvenirs and gifts. 

StenniSphere inspires visitors to reach beyond the stars by teaching
them about NASA, Stennis Space Center and space exploration's rich
history and exciting future. Visitors begin their journey at the
Launch Pad at the Hancock County Welcome Center, I-10, Exit 2. From
there, they register, receive special visitors' badges to wear during
their visit, and ride a shuttle bus to StenniSphere, getting a tour
of Stennis Space Center along the way. Buses travel to and from the
Launch Pad at 15-minute intervals all day, so visitors can stay as
long as they wish. 

StenniSphere is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday
and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. It is closed on major holidays. For
more information, call (228) 688-2370 or 1-800-237-1821 (Option 1) in
Mississippi or Louisiana or visit 

www.ssc.nasa.gov/public/visitors.

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