One of the unique sights on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is the John C. Stennis Space Center in Pearlington, Mississippi, in western Mississippi just before the Louisiana state line. This is one of 10 NASA field centers in the United States and has a remarkable visitor center for the public.

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The Stennis center will play a major role when the U.S. space program moves forward to go back to the moon. In the meantime, NASA uses the facility for propulsion testing and green run testing. This is crucial testing of the Space Launch System rocket that will propel the Orion spacecraft to the moon in 2024.

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Visitors can explore the space center through the visitors center and the Infinity Science Center, which has many interactive exhibits for children and adults alike. There is a deep ocean explorer hands-on exhibit, a hurricane prediction lab, the X-Sphere-ience Theater, Apollo-era space suits, a moon rock, and the Apollo 19 Saturn V S-1C three-stage moon rocket. The 3-D Immersive Theater has regularly scheduled films and there is an Apollo 11 virtual reality simulator. Check for scheduled rocket tests that the public can view by calling 228-688-2211.

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The space center, which is basically an engine testing site, was named for former Mississippi U.S. Sen. John C. Stennis and opened in 1965 as part of the Kennedy Administration’s decision to put a man on the moon. Added to the complex since 2000 have been the Lockheed Martin Mississippi Space and Technology Center, the Naval Small Craft Instructional and Technical Training School and Special Boat Unit TWENTY-TWO (which supports Navy Seal operations), and the Naval Oceanographic Office Warfighting Support and Survey Operations Center.

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The Infinity Science Center, according to its website, has “an education wing; indoor and outdoor artifacts; Earth and space exhibit galleries; theaters; and live programs and demonstrations.  Educational exhibits draw content from real-life space and ocean exploration activities conducted by the more than 30 labs and offices at the nearby research complex.”

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Hours of Operation: The visitor center and Infinity Science Center is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Getting There:  Exit Interstate 10 at Exit 2 and drive south towards the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It is located in Pearlington, Mississippi, about four miles from the space center.