Space Center Houston opened its new Sensory Room on April 17. The space was made possible by a donation from MegaStar Financial and its CEO, Anita Padilla-Fitzgerald.
Joy's professional and personal journey is a testament to her lifelong passion for space exploration, education, and advocacy. Her enthusiasm for space started as a young girl, growing up on Merritt Island, Florida, in the shadow of Kennedy Space Center during the iconic Apollo era.
On June 3, 1965, Gemini IV launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida. This mission was the first U.S. spaceflight controlled by NASA’s brand-new Mission Control Center, now the Johnson Space Center.
The Payload Development Laboratory II (PDL II), a retired medium-fidelity trainer weighing 26,000 pounds, was carefully transported from NASA Building 9 - the Astronaut Training Facility, to its new, future home at Space Center Houston.
On October 24, 2024, a remarkable piece of space exploration history arrived at Space Center Houston: a full-scale Gateway Habitat mock-up, generously donated by aerospace leader Northrop Grumman. This immersive artifact is a symbol of humanity’s next great leap toward the Moon and beyond.
