The Shop at NASA/MSFC, Huntsville, Bld 4705

Walking towards the big machine shop, which is on the left, you can see a rocket on display in the distance. The building to the right is the "surface treatment" shop.



I just imagine seeing a Saturn V roll out these doors... how cool that must have been.



The neutral buoyancy simulator is attached to the shop. The control room is in the low part of the building.



The buoyancy tank is in this huge building. It is an indoor "swimming pool" large enough to hold a mock-up of the shuttle bay. It was equipped for training the crew for EVA (space walks). There would be one or two suited MSFC employees in the tank, with several scuba divers to assist, for the "dress rehearsals", before the astronauts came and suited up.

Sadly, the facility is now "mothballed". It has "historical landmark" status, so at least it will not be dismantled. Von Broun had a suit, and would go in himself whenever he chose to. Dad says Von Broun would ask Cooper to suit him up, and Cooper would say "I don't know if I have one that will fit you", then he'd go get Von Braun's custom-fit suit. JSC now has their own facility, which is at least partially why this one has been shut down.



Check my other posts for what's inside the shop.