The Space Shuttle

On the news one morning was that the space shuttle was not going to land in Florida as usual, but was going to land here at Edwards Air Force Base. I asked the kids if they wanted to go to see the space shuttle land. And some did and some didn’t. So to school with those that didn’t, and with those that did, off we go to Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave desert.

We heard the sonic booms, so we knew we missed the actual landing. We went anyway to the base, and there was a severely military guy at the gate of Edwards. I roll down the window and say, We were coming to see the space shuttle land, but we were too late. Can I show my kids the space shuttle on the ground?

No, all civilian permissions to see the space shuttle and to come onto the base are canceled after the space shuttle lands.

Is there anything else on the base we can go see?

Yes, says he. There is the museum.

Well, then I'd like to go see the museum.

Park your car over there, come back into this office, bring your identification and proof of insurance.

So I do that. The forms are filled, papers are signed, and then I get directions to the museum.

What do we find next to the museum?

The space shuttle!

So we did get to see the space shuttle after all, and I thought the museum was amazing. As a kid I was into the X-15 and all of those experimental planes, and here was information, pressure suits, cockpits, photos, wonderful exhibits, and objects. The kids were only mildly interested or impressed.

We got in the car and explored around the very large complex, many large buildings and offices and hangars, all of it invisible from the surrounding desert civilian roads around the base.

A guy with a beard and a ponytail wandering freely around in a station wagon full of kids.

Oh, the wonders of the military mind.