Gemini 7

Before returning to San Diego from my conference on teaching nuclear issues, I was able to visit the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Dulles, Virginia. My flight was scheduled for 2pm, so I knew I had to be there when the doors opened if I had any hope of trying to see most of the museum. This meant a early morning, as I had to drive up from Lexington, Virginia.

Apart from seeing the Gemini 7 capsule, this museum also housed a Concorde, a SR-71 Blackbird, the Space Shuttle Enterprise, and the B-29 Enola Gay.

Another interesting artifact is the Freedom 7 II. Alan Shepard had hoped to make another Mercury flight, but this time orbital. Unfortunately, this mission never occurred and he did not return to space until Apollo 14.