Introducing Heroes and Legends - Featuring the US Astronaut Hall of Fame.

 On November 11, 2016, the DNC ( Delaware North Corporation) unveiled the Heroes and Legends featuring the US Astronaut Hall of Fame sponsored by Boeing to the public. A fitting tribute to all the Men and Women that have made Space Exploration their calling and have achieved feats many have experienced but have not had the honor of being inducted. You will find a few factual errors even with that it is still a beautiful moving exhibit to all those who have and will dedicate their lives to human space exploration.

Once you enter the doors through an elevated ramp, you will be greeted by a 360-degree display featuring NASA's early space exploration up to the Apollo Moon program. Then a presentation will start where you will learn " What it is and What does it take to be a hero? ", from the people who actually became Heroes for the betterment of mankind. 

(Photo Credit: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex)  HAL Entrance 

 After you grab your 3-D glasses the doors will open and enter into the theater where you are treated to a 360° 3-D experience which will take you on a trip down memory lane through the eyes of the Astronauts that committed these most righteous acts of human space exploration. From the Soviet cold-war era and Project Mercury's heyday all the way up to Apollo. Following the exciting 3-D presentation you exit the theater where you're greeted by the Sigma 7 spacecraft which was flown by Wally Schirra on MA-8 ( Mercury-Atlas 8) one of the Mercury 7 Astronauts, as well as the Apollo 7 Commander. MA-8 was the second to last Mercury mission to lift off, which was MA-9 commanded by L. Gordon Cooper in Faith 7 before the Gemini program kicked into full swing. It is attached to one of the 3 surviving Mercury Redstone Rockets that were manufactured for the Manned Mercury Program. This one is MR-6 which was originally slated for Alan Sheppard's historic flight as the First American in Space. Now hardcore Space enthusiasts will know that Sigma 7 was attached to an Atlas launch vehicle, not a Mercury Redstone. 

(Photo Credit: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex) Mercury 7 Astronaut Wally Schirra's Sigma 7 attached to MR-6

As you make your way down to the first floor following the walkway you will be greeted with displays modeled in the likeness of the interiors of the Mercury and Gemini Spacecraft. Filled with artifacts from Individual astronaut you will see contributions from Dr. Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, Alan B. Shepard, and Virgil "Gus" Grissom's actual flight suit from Mercury-Redstone - 4  / Liberty Bell 7 and numerous other artifacts contributed by other AHOF inductees. Follow around and you will come face-to-face with the real Mercury Mission Control, which was originally in the Blockhouse out in Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This was not too far away from the Mercury launch pads. It was faithfully restored to the resemblance of operation standards as the day that Alan B. Shepard lifted off in the Mercury Spacecraft Freedom 7 as America's first Astronaut. Then make your way a little further and you will come face-to-face with the Gemini IX spacecraft that was commanded by Thomas P. Stafford who went on to become the Apollo 10 Commander and was the warm-up mission for the Historic Apollo 11 landing with Niel Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Gemini IX was piloted by Apollo 17 Commander Eugene "Gene" Cernan the " Last Man on the Moon".

(Photo Credit: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex)  Original NASA Meatball that was attached to the Mercury Mission Control Building

(Photo Credit: Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex) Interactive Display in the AHOF section

 As you exit the display's you will enter the prestigious United States Astronaut Hall of Fame, there you will see the likenesses carved into plexiglass along with the mission patches and name of every Astronaut that has been entered into Astronaut Hall of Fame there is a 360 display with interactive display panels where you can look up each individual astronaut and their HOF worthy exploits. Finally, as you exit, you will be dispatched on your way to future space exploration adventures by the original Alan B. Shepard bronze statue which used to sit at the entrance of the original US Astronaut Hall of Fame formerly located across the river at the entrance to Kennedy Space Center property line located right next to the beautiful Indian River Inter-coastal waterway.

 Here at Intergalactic Righteousness, we hope that you can visit the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and see these awesome display's for yourself.