Beyond the garden was a large educational building which housed all sorts of items used in the space program. We even stopped for a few minutes to talk with Marty who was explaining the eating and drinking methods used in outer space. Fortunately there were no samples, however she assured us that the astronauts ate well while in space, even with the unusual problems associated with weightlessness. This was explained in detail at the exhibit which displayed a replica of the "Coca Cola" Space dispenser/monitor which flew aboard Discovery in February 1995. Developed by Coca-Cola scientists, the apparatus occupied two locker spaces in the SPACEHAB laboratory module. For each use by an astronaut, the device's pressurized dispenser unit delivered four ounces of chilled beverage to a sealed drinking cup. The technology which enabled astronauts to drink soda in space has been used for other fluid experiments in micro-gravity. There were several displays of the various space suits which have been used over the years. It is amazing to watch the transition as the scientists learned from each mission, new and better ways of doing the same thing. The suits grew and were redefined and redesigned as the program itself was redefined over the years. Although many of the changes were subtle and invisible to the naked eye, others were obvious from a distance. The main thing I noticed was the overall reduction in size as the program progressed. Like the transistor radio, they continually got thinner and thinner. One of the fee areas was a display on robots used in space. There's not much I can report on it, other then there was this cute little robot feller outside the entrance which took a liking to Laura. A most polite fella, he stood with left hand/pincher extended in open friendship. As is often the case with us, we ended a long day of exploring the sights and sounds of America's space program with a little something to cool off with. We tried a little space dust; a kind of super cold, sweet ice cream drops about the size of a large pin head. It dissolved almost immediately upon hitting the roof of my mouth and produced quite a sensation. The things we missed by not paying the full price are too numerous to list. But included was a bus trip out to the flight line where the rockets are blasted off into outer space, and the hangars that support them. Even without the added exposure, it was a full days activity, and well worth the drive out. I'd put it high on the entertainment list, especially if you have kids. For more information on the Space Center check out their website at: http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com

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