2023-07-29 -- Stennis Space Center & Michoud Assembly Facility

Good things usually come in three!

Having explored Kennedy Space Center(1) and Johnson Space Center(2), let's conclude our discussion with Stennis Space Center(3), located on the southern border of Mississippi and Louisiana

This is an intriguing location. The testing of powerful rocket engines can trigger minor seismic activity, and the noise levels are too intense for nearby residents. As a result, all 700 families living within the 55 square kilometer (13,500 acre) area were relocated before the center's construction.

Stennis Space Center is a facility dedicated to propulsion testing and astronaut training.

Observation deck for rocket engine tests

Some of the engines tested here, as well as certain amenities astronauts must learn to use in zero-gravity environments, such as showers and toilets, are showcased at the center.

Training facility:

Not far from SSC, you can visit the Michoud Assembly Facility(4).

This is where some of the largest fuel tanks for space programs, including the Saturn V and Space Shuttle, were built, assembled, and integrated, along with numerous other large-scale components.