Marshall Space Flight Center

Marshall Space Flight Center is the designated NASA center for propulsion and transportation systems. Historically, Marshall developed the Saturn family of boosters, the propulsion technologies of the Space Shuttle, and (until Barack Obama cancelled Project Constellation) the Ares I and Ares V boosters. Additionally, Marshall develops hardware and instruments for various scientific projects and supports the ISS.

For a time, Marshall oversaw a complete propulsion-based empire: In addition to MSFC proper, Marshall had responsibility for facilities for producing (Michoud Assembly Facility), testing (Mississippi Test Facility and the computing facility in Slidell, Louisiana), and launching (the Launch Operations Directorate) Saturn rockets.

Over time, the Mississippi Test Facility became the Stennis Space Center and the Launch Operations Directorate became a full-fledged NASA center (first the Launch Operations Center and then the Kennedy Space Center). Today, the only other facility overseen by Marshall is the Michoud Assembly Facility.

Marshall has had several of its facilities designated as National Historic Landmarks.

Bus tours of Marshall were available since at least the early to mid-1970s from the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (the "Alabama" Space & Rocket Center in those early days). Tours were discontinued after 9/11; resumed on July 20, 2012 (in honor of the anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing); were suspended again during the COVID lockdowns; and resumed again in late 2024 (whew!). While I've never taken one of those tours, I have been lucky enough to visit Marshall several times: as a part of a VIP tour and as the guest of active-duty military personnel and MSFC engineers.

I've annotated an aerial overview of some of the Marshall test stands.