To salute the NASA “Perseverance” mission that successfully landed on Mars on February 18, 2021, here’s a video of the open house at the NASA Glenn Research Center 75th Anniversary celebration in 2016 featuring rockets, the test facilities, gigantic wind tunnels, displays and activities.
Visitors were guided through world-class facilities where we saw technologies that contribute to the future of NASA in aeronautics and our journey to Mars.
There were presentations by NASA Glenn’s technologists and researchers and hands-on activities for kids including making a handheld jet engine, straw rockets and solar energy bracelets as well as demonstration carts on lunar robotics, soda bottle rockets, alternative energy and more. You can see the full list of activities here. (A new browser window will open)
Visitors also saw a research plane, rocket, a couple of wind tunnels, the Zero-Gravity facility, GRUVE Lab, Propulsion System Lab, Engine Research Building, Glenn Extreme Environment Rig (GEER), the COMPASS Lab and so much more!
The facilities have contributed to some of the nation’s greatest innovations over the last 75 years (now 80 years).
I created this video from photos I took at the open house. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Have you ever been to Cleveland’s NASA Glenn Research Center or any other NASA facility? What did you like most about it? Please share your experience with a comment, below!
EDITOR'S NOTE: I've always been a “space geek” going all the way back to my elementary school days. I remember watching the Gemini missions ? in the 1960s when teachers rolled TVs into the classroom so we could see launches and splashdowns live!
I have dreamed of working for NASA in some capacity… like as a staff photographer. A couple years ago, I was called in for an interview for a photographer position at Cleveland's NASA Glenn Research Center and was honored to make it to the final five applicants out of more than 100. Unfortunately, I wasn't chosen. ?
Thank you for sharing this story. I love the technology that NASA projects have created that now benefit the general public!
Hi James. I’m glad you enjoyed my story. I’ve loved space and science since I was in elementary school when the teacher used to bring in the cart with a TV so we could watch the Gemini and Apollo missions launch and eventually splash down.