It sounded interesting enough but not really up on going into Manhattan lately. "That's okay. They'll come out to you". WHAT...come to Queens? Meet at my home? A restaurant? Then I thought of the perhaps place...the New York Hall of Science at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. That place has been around since the 1964 World's Fair and for the same reason. Lots of renovations since, naturally. One particular area outside of the building itself is called Rocket Park. Two actual rockets including one Gemini that went to outer space.
All set up, I got there early to get a quick tour and figure out where the interviews and photos would take place. Met with their p.r. person Mary Record to chat then off to see their latest 3-D movie about Monarch butterflies. Only one at the 11 a.m. showing as the place was packed with school kids checking out all of the hands-on exhibits. I tried really hard to catch a butterfly as they were flying directly in front of me. No use! Absolutely loved the movie.
I looked out a window to see these two rockets and something in between. What are they? One of the fabulous staff came by to explain.
Mary and I continued to explore places for later photo ops. When Tom and Andrea arrived, we went directly into the cafeteria to grab lunch and bring it into a conference room. After chopping and schmoozing, it was time for some interviewing. I video-taped both interviews. The first one was to talk about who Tom is and what he had done.
Here is the video.
The next part of the interview was about the Kennedy Space Center and both Andrea and Tom gave me the lowdown.
Onto some of the photo shots before we go outside, Tom changed into his official jacket.
He absolutely loved looking at this module.
“What a wonderful welcome we received from our space
and science friends in New York,” Andrea
later commented. “It felt like being home in Florida as we saw the might
Gemini titan and Mercury Atlas at the entrance. Astronaut Tom Jones and I were
impressed with the many interactive displays and exhibits, and the welcoming
and knowledgeable staff. It's no wonder so many young people flock there to
learn all about science!”
Tom
had this to say. “Growing
up during the Space Race of the 1960s, I followed each space shot involving our
astronauts with intense interest. Coming to the Hall of Science, site of the
’64 World’s Fair, brought me face to face with those icons of the Space Age
standing tall in the Rocket Park. Back then, I would have turned over my little
brothers to have been able to visit the Rocket Park back then! Fortunately, I
didn’t have to trade them in—during my visit. I was able to explore the
Mercury-Atlas, the Gemini-Titan II (built two miles from my boyhood home in
Baltimore), and the Mercury 1 space capsule display inside the Hall. My
pilgrimage to the Hall reminded me of the excitement I felt as a budding
scientist and aspiring pilot. Just as these early spacecraft at the Hall
of Science inspired my journey to the stars, young explorers can go to Kennedy
Space Center’s Visitor Complex and see the spaceship I flew at the Space Shuttle
Atlantis exhibit. The Hall of Science—the Kennedy Space Center—these are places
to learn about amazing discoveries, epic achievements, and to inspire our young
people to a bright future in space.”
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