Johnson Space Center

NASA's New Astronauts: Half Women, None Alive For the Moon Landing

There was a generation of kids who grew up idolizing the astronauts. The men of the Mercury missions, the Apollo crews -- the guys who risked everything, put it all on the line to beat the Russians and launch into outer space. John Glenn, Alan Sheppard, Neil Armstrong -- these guys were national h ... More >>

Grace Kelly, Super Guppies & Men Who Shouldn't Wear Cowboy Hats: Great Old Photos Of NASA's 50 Years In Houston

Arcadia Publishing is a company specializing in affordable picture-filled books on local history across the country. They've done books on such Houston institutions as the downtown Foley's, and now they've tackled the institution-alist Houston institution of all, NASA. See Also: - "Tatooine" Disco ... More >>

Pics: Space Shuttle Endeavour's Visit to Houston

I am not one of those people who is good at estimating crowds, but if I had to guess, there were probably at least 10,000 people at Ellington Airport around 4 p.m. when I finally gave up on traffic, parked my car on Galveston Road, and walked the mile or so to hangar 990 to see Space Shuttle Endeavo ... More >>

Six Houston LINdmarks That LINd Themselves to Further LINsanity

When being interviewed over the last week, newly acquired Rockets guard Jeremy Lin admitted that the use of his last name for Lin-based puns got a little old in New York. In fact, he banned the use of them among friends, but he did admit that of all the ones he had seen, his favorite was probably Su ... More >>

Tour de Houston

DEFCON Dining: Frenchie's Italian Restaurant

Eight hours spent touring the Johnson Space Center with a bunch of semi-bored/semi-spastic Brownies makes for a long day. By the time I hauled my three charges (my kids, plus a tag-along neighbor) from the sprawling indoor playground that reigned as exhibit of choice, I was starving and semi-delirio ... More >>

NASA Taking Astronaut Applications: A Job With A Bright Future

This could be you​Tired of your dead-end job? Get into a profession that's guaranteed to be well-funded for the foreseeable future and beyond: manned space travel!! NASA is once again opening up the application process for astronaut jobs, even though, you know, there are no more shuttle missi ... More >>

25 Signs That You Aren't From Houston

That's right, you're not from Houston​Earlier this week Arturo Valdes was pulled over for speeding down the West Loop feeder road in the City of Bellaire. After finding "irregularities" with his registration (probably something other than a Bellaire or West U address), Bellaire cops called in ... More >>

Six Houston-Related eBay Items You WILL NOT Be Able To Resist Bidding On

It's very possible to go to eBay and wonder "Who the hell would ever buy this?" Certainly not falling into that category are the following six Houston-related items currently up for bid. Get in on `em now while you can!! ​6. The hippest campaign button ever Why it's great: See the way the 7 ... More >>

An Amateur Lands The Space Shuttle

Boyd MeierKym in the sim​Be sure to check out our pics from the Atlantis astronauts' homecoming at Johnson Space Center. You often hear the expression "a once in a lifetime experience," and while this may or may not always be true, for those lucky enough to participate in a NASA Tweet-up, not ... More >>

In Run-Up to Space Shuttle Atlantis Launch, NASA Allows Rare Peek Behind Mission Control Curtain

Photos by Troy Fields​Check out our pictures of the final round of space shuttle simulation training at NASA's Mission Control. Space. If you are anything like me, you've probably started to take it for granted. Save for disasters like the Columbia explosion in 2003, the country as a whole no ... More >>

Comment of the Day: More Space Shuttle Blues

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

Space Shuttles: Ten Ways Los Angeles and New York Can Show Theirs Off, Dammit

Bi-wing airplanes...pfft. Try this on for size, Kong.​This week, we learned that Houston, essentially the birthplace of the space shuttle program, will not be given one of the four remaining shuttles. Two of the four cities receiving them are both deserving and appropriate: Washington D.C. (fo ... More >>

Space Shuttle Battle: City Hall Rally to Demand Houston Gets a Used Orbiter

Proposed Houston home for a shuttle.​As we've noted before, Houston is in a life-or-death battle to get one of the two retiring space shuttles that have flown missions, and they need all the help they can get. The solution: A City Hall rally, complete with Mayor Annise Parker, County Judge Ed ... More >>

Final Four Visitors: Ten Alternative Places to Visit in Houston

You can skip the Beer Can House​So, you've made it to town for the Final Four and you are shocked to find out there are no tumbleweeds, we all aren't walking around in 10-gallon hats and the area surrounding downtown and the medical center is not filled with strip malls and urban decay. Welcom ... More >>

Space Cowboys: Big Head Todd Serenades Shuttle Crew

​If someone woke Rocks Off up at 2:30 in the morning with a Big Head Todd & the Monsters song, even the band themselves, we might have a few choice words for them. But we suppose it's a little different when you're 220 miles above the Earth. That's what happened earlier today (way earlier tod ... More >>

Ten Houston Neighborhoods: The Crimes They Experience

Paging McGruff the Crime Dog​We've been plotting which neighborhoods in Houston lead in certain crime categories, but doing that doesn't really get you to the more well-known parts of town. So we decided to zero in on a few specific neighborhoods and see what crime's been going down in them. ... More >>

Intelligent Life

When NASA employee April Evans questioned animal experiments, her career fell apart.

NASA's Space Vomit Recipe: The Video

It must have a whiff of Tang, messieurs!​So apparently the space program needs some next-gen trash bags, and they need to find out if those bags can stand up to every manner of substance that they will be containing.This will include many empty cups of Tang and according to the video after the jum ... More >>

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars"

Space Center Houston puts George Lucas fans through their paces

The Five Most Overrated Houston Attractions

Let's be honest, there's one main reason visitors come to Houston -- to visit relatives. Or, if they're from the hinterlands of Texas, to see a major league baseball game (sorry, you'll have to settle for the Astros) or the rodeo.But Houston, like every other city, has to sell itself as a tourist de ... More >>

Annise Parker's Star Wars Choice: She's With The Bad Guys

City of Houston photosSo that's what Stormtroopers look like when they take off their helmets​ We'll admit freely that we're not the biggest Star Wars fans in the world. Given the fanaticism of some Jedi followers, it's an easy claim to make.But we thought -- and correct us if we're wrong -- that ... More >>

There's Absolutely Nothing That Could Possibly Go Wrong With NASA's New Human-Looking Robot

Photo by General Motors​NASA and General Motors have announced a new space robot, called Robonaut 2, or R2 for short (The name "Desperately Hoping to be Relevant via Outdated Pop Culture References," or RHROPCR, was apparently rejected for being too long.)"Our challenge today is to build machines ... More >>

House of Enchiladas

​Deep in Friendswood (it isn't that far away, people) is an establishment that has ballooned into an enchilada institution. It's called La Casita (18043 County Rd. 127), and Tom Hanks ate here during the filming of Apollo 13 at Space Center Houston. It's also the local dive of a recent Bachelo ... More >>

Newest Report Not Great News For NASA; Time To Think "Outside The Box," As They Probably Still Say There

​The long-awaited report on NASA's future has come out and, as expected, it's bad news for anyone hoping for a return to the moon."Panel Says NASA Should Skip Moon, Fly Elsewhere" is the headline on AP's report:Norman Augustine, chairman of the White House-appointed panel reviewing the agency's sp ... More >>

Election Night Parties -- Where To Watch

Houston as a Movie Stand-In: The Top Five

Things (Not) To Do in Houston, Per USA Today

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars”

See artifacts and props from the new animated SWTCW film

“Daredevil Island”

Space Center Houston mixes adventure with fun

Weekend Music: No Money, No Problem

“Amazon Voyage: Vicious Fishes & Other Riches”

Man-eating piranhas are the centerpiece of this nature exhibit

Bayousphere

“Star Wars”

Luke Skywalker and company land their starfighter at NASA

Dubble Trubble

Troubled Hubble packs a one-two wallop of great music and an even better live show

Best Tourist Attraction

Fonda Film

A countercultural icon rolls into town for Easy Rider and The Hired Hand

Sit, Stay, Run!

A race goes to the dogs

Rocket Man

How one enterprising Johnson Space Center physicist followed his dream to Hollywood and porn stardom

Up, Up and Away

Little Johnny will love the Ballunar Liftoff Festival

Files Not Found

Thousands of missing FBI documents in the Timothy McVeigh case? It comes as no surprise to the survivors of Operation Lightning Strike.

Science for Hire

The Mad Science Group educates kids with rock music and science

Your Friend, the Germ

Microbes are the stars of this exhibit

Science Friction

Architect Constance Adams designed an inflatable house that could take American astronauts to Mars. NASA wants to build it, but Congress keeps bursting the bubble.

Megascreen Cinemas March In

Big complexes threaten end to neighborhood era

Press Picks

Press Picks

The Insider

Picks

Picks