Trash Panada highlights future restoration efforts at USSRC

A recent post on the Huntsville Alabama Reddit highlights the next big restoration project at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. The Saturn I rocket that towers over Rocket Park apparently has a resident, Rocket the Racoon which seems fitting with the new minor league baseball team, Rocket City Trash Pandas moving in just a few exits down the interstate.

However, Rocket’s new home in the rocket is short lived. The Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission recently announced in their quarterly meeting that they plan on starting restoration on the Saturn I in August. The successful fundraising campaign that helped restore the Saturn V mockup has also helped make available funds to help kick off additional restoration efforts on the smaller rocket.

The center has been catching up on the long-needed restoration of outdoor exhibits in hopes of having most of the work completed before the Apollo 50 celebration this summer. While the restorations look mostly cosmetic some also serve to ensure the safety of the exhibits for generations to come. Something that was made clear when a large piece of the Pathfinder Shuttle exhibit fell to the ground in early summer of 2018. While there were no injuries, photos appear to show that there were guests were in the area. The area under the Pathfinder has been closed to guests for over a year.

It isn’t too late to help support the restoration efforts. Become a Rocket Protector by donating at https://gospaceeducation.org/rockets