In May 2021, I visited the Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. On of my favorite exhibits is the SR-71.
On one of the walls on the lower level, a mural depicting the US’ history in space is displayed. This is the rightmost portion showing, among other things, a shuttle launch and landing, astronauts, and the Internation Space Station, a project I worked on for a few years back in the late ’80s.
Of course, I had to visit the Discovery. What isn’t easily captured by the picture is the wear and tear of reentry.
In the Restoration Room, I spotted the oddest item, still half-boxed – Evel Knievel’s Motorcycle.
Also, in the Restoration Room, Poe Dameron’s X-Wing is undergoing processing.
To finish off the day, I posed next to Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit. And for anyone concerned, I ensured no strangers were within 50 yards of me and only had my mask off for as long as it would take to have a gulp of water.
Two things are obvious: At 6′ 6″, I’m far too tall for the space program, and Neil was pretty short.
I’m an author living in northern Virginia with a wife and a cat. In the late ’80s, I worked on the International Space Station project. I recently retired from managing a group of software engineers to focus on writing science fiction and speculative fiction. Learn more.