A Sightseer's Guide to EngineeringNational Society of Professional EngineersNational Engineer's Week
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During WW II, a German team under Wernher von Braun developed the V-2 rocket, which was the first long-range guided missile. The V-2 had a range greater than 200 miles and reached velocities greater than 3,500 mph. When the first V-2 hit London, von Braun reportedly observed, "The rocket worked perfectly, except for landing on the wrong planet."


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ALABAMA Printable version
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
One Tranquillity Base, just off I-565
Huntsville, AL 35807
256-837-3400 or 800-637-7223 (reservations only)
Web Site
Feel like an astronaut for a day. There are various ticket options and prices. Call for details. 
Hours of Operation: Open daily 9 a.m - 5 p.m. Closed on major holidays. Need a map?
When aerospace engineer Dr. Wernher von Braun arrived in Huntsville in 1950, the town called itself the "Water Cress Capital of the World." Today, it is known as the place where the U.S. space program began. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center features one of the world's largest collections of space and rocket hardware. The center also has a simulation of travel aboard the space shuttle and more than 60 hands-on displays. The Spacedome IMAX Theater presents space and science films. On the grounds are collections of NASA rockets and Army defense missiles, including a full-scale shuttle display and the 363-foot, three-stage Saturn V moon rocket.
 
Who Made It: NASA
 
Photo Credit: U.S. Space & Rocket Center