Spaced Out

So NASA Ames had their open house the other day. Given such a rare opportunity (and free one at that), plus chance to finally do a rare family outing, how could I resist?

For frame of reference, NASA Ames over in Mountain View opened up their campus for the first time since the 90s, so obviously major event. What was witnessed left a lot to be desired.

Given large crowds, knowing sleep habits (and expecting an actual tour), I booked in advance tickets set for 10am.  Needless to say, we still needed to wake early, but at least not at a ridiculous hour.

Ended up waking up around 7 am, planning to leave at 8 to drive to closest Light rail station between us and NASA (because, y'know, traffic). Ended up leave a little past 9 because Filipino time, and apparently everyone else had the same idea of not parking onsite.


Such crowd

Very wait

• 30 minute LRT to NASA/Bayshore
• Another 30-45 minutes of waiting in a zigzag line to enter the facility and board busses. 

To say the least, not quite the best coordination, but we made it in. Passing by the empty hangar shell (which I was absolutely surprised to find it was, indeed, a barebones skeleton), we arrived at the campus proper, which, in itself, is quite pretty.

Plaaaaanes

After a lunch at the food truck zone (yay 30 minute wait for sushi burrito), we were off to the biggest tease of the day - the walking tour of the NASA campus proper('s exterior walkways).

No entry.

 

So you get what you pay for. In this case, if you wanted to see the actual workings of the base, you needed to reserve for an extra fee well in advance. As for rest of us, well... we got stands. 

The future of space travel.

 

That's not to say the place was pretty (seriously, all those trees). Some of the architecture was cool, though. Like that wind tunnel. 

Seriously

 This thing is huge!

 

Plus, exercise is always good, think I walked off that sushiritto after a good hour. Scenery porn aside, the place was underwhelming, but glad to have tried it out at very least, with knowledge of the next time this place does open up.

Now I have heard of other NASA sites being more exciting and open year round. May have been in past, or this is just one of the more... formal sites, closed off for the sole reason of nothing much in public eye. 

It was a good day. Tiring yes, but experience. You get what you pay for. 

Hasta marfle!