The primary training center for our astronauts is the Space Center. It houses full-scale mockups of all key space vehicles and facilities. The little space man (pictured with Anita) was part of the visitor center staff.
A Center staff member and a young boy volunteer from the audience demonstrate the challenges of living in a weightless environ- ment. The picture shows the living quarters of the Inter- national Space Station. There were lots of interesting details. Probably the most interesting was how the toilets work!
The shuttle model in the third picture shows the massive cargo door. The hydraulic arm, called the Canada arm (because of where it was made), can maneuver satellites and space hardware like the Hubble Telescope, which may actually weigh tons, in and out of the cargo bay in space because of weightlessness. In the Space Center, astronauts train to use the Canada arm on a massive, complex hydraulic arm which is also capable of lifting these same vehicles in a weightless environment.
The final picture shows a spider-like rover developed for exploration on the moon and possibly other locations in space.
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