On July 14^th, NASA is inviting mission followers to enjoy a virtual “All-American Meal” with the Crew of STS-135.  NASA is even revealing its brisket rub recipe –what some southerners would consider scandalous — so you and your family can get a “taste of space” at home!

NASA astronauts Doug Hurley (left), STS-135 pilot, and Mike Fossum, Expedition 28 flight engineer, are pictured onboard the International Space Station not long after the docking of the space shuttle Atlantis and the station during the mission's third day in space. Fossum displays a smile as he holds a bag of fruit and other items which was brought up by the shuttle crew. Photo credit: NASA

Home chefs around the globe have been invited to download the meal’s “formulations” (recipes), prepare the meal at home and enjoy it with the crew on the 5^th flight day of this historic final voyage.For those of you playing along at home, you may want to skip the thermostabilizing and dehydrating steps.

And now… the secret Brisket Rub Recipe

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Beef Brisket, Barbecued, Sliced

Dry Rub

Ingredients Percent by weight

Salt  29.51

Sugar granulated   23.61

Brown sugar, lightly packed  17.71

Chili powder   5.90

Paprika   5.90

Celery salt    4.43

Ground oregano   3.54

Ground white pepper   2.95

Garlic powder   2.21

Ground black pepper   1.48

Cumin   1.48

Dry mustard   0.79

Cayenne pepper   0.49

100.00

PREPARATION PROCEDURE

Trim beef brisket of fat and rub dry rub mixture into the meat surface (Dry Rub shall be at least 8 grams per pound of raw brisket).  Wrap the brisket in plastic wrap or suitable material and hold at 40°F (4°C) overnight.

Cook briskets in a regular oven set at 235°F (113°C), baste after 3 hours with barbecue sauce.

Cook another two hours until internal temperature is 175-180°F (79-82°C) baste with barbecue sauce and let sit in the oven for one more hour.

The brisket shall be sliced on a meat slicer set at 1/8 inch (3.0 mm).  Serve 2.8 to 3.5 oz (80-100g) of sliced brisket with add one ounce (30 g) of hickory smoke flavored barbecue sauce.

› Watch a video about NASA’s food lab

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If you would like to actually dine with an astronaut, as opposed to virtually, check out our Lunch with an Astronaut event every Friday.  This week we will host astronaut Dr. John-David Bartoe.  Afterwards, checkout our Living in Space presentation to learn more about how astronauts prepare food and eat in microgravity!

Discounted tickets are now available online at spacecenter.org

In July 1969, millions of people across the globe watched in awe as Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their Lunar Module on the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility.  Stepping onto the lunar surface, Armstrong gave perhaps one of history’s most famous quotes; “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” The Apollo Program, with its 6 successful lunar landings, is often cited as the greatest technological achievement in human history. Visitors are invited to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the Lunar Landing and all of NASA’s Apollo era missions up close and personal at Space Center Houston. Explore and discover unique artifacts like no place on Earth. Really.

1.) Presidential Podium–“We Choose to Go to the Moon”

In a famous speech at Rice University on Sept. 12 1962, behind this very podium, President John. F Kennedy boldly stated his challenge to put a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. The mission was a success with Apollo 11, and this unique piece of history can be viewed on permanent display featured as part of Space Center Houston’s “On Human Destiny” film presentation.

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We have been offered quite a few artifacts over the past years. From spare parts for a Saturn V Moon rocket to a cigar butt smoked by a former flight director, it is always interesting to see what shows up at our front door. While each item carries with it an interesting piece of history, it doesn’t always meet the criteria for our permanent collection. However, there are those rare and amazing pieces you just can’t pass up.

Moments after the explosion on Apollo 13, any hope of landing on the Moon was abandoned. Despite the disaster, history would ultimately label Apollo 13 as NASA’s most “successful failure”. Space Center Houston is now honored to host a rare artifact from one of NASA’s finest hours. An artifact that would today be forgotten on the surface on the Moon if things had gone as planned.

(above:)This checklist would have been the guidebook for the Apollo 13 crew while on the Lunar surface.

On a perfect mission, Jim Lovell would have picked up this artifact shortly after landing. It is a collection of pages held together with three metal rings. Although it is marked as the “final copy,” various pages are marked in longhand with last minute notes and reminders. The Apollo 13 Lunar Surface Checklist would have served as the crews guide during the exploration of the lunar surface. Although it conjures up memories of a nearly disastrous mission, it also gives some unique insight to the mission planning and how an alternate reality might have played out. (more…)

May the Force be with You! Star Wars:The Clone Wars, the newest exhibit at Space Center Houston, opened with a huge bang over the 4th of July weekend! Big thanks goes out to our friends at LucasFilm Ltd., and the SCH staff for all the hard work round the clock to make this Star Wars dream a reality! Remember, Space Center Houston has the largest collection of Star Wars: Clone Wars and Star Wars artifacts and memorabilia in the world! Have you ever seen an infamous Star Wars lightsaber, a full-sized Starfighter, or wished you could go behind-the-scenes of the next Star Wars saga, before it comes out in theaters? The once-in-a-lifetime chance is now, and its only at Space Center Houston with Star Wars:The Clone Wars! Now Open all summer long!(P.S. Save Big on admission at Spacecenter.org!)

(below: SCH guests experiencing Star Wars:Clone Wars and Genuine Obi-Wan Kenobi Starfighter on display)