Save the Gondola
Restoring the Original Gondola
The original centrifuge gondola that was used for training the Mercury astronauts is currently located at the Paul E. Garber artifact storage facility of the National Air and Space Museum where it is sitting in their outside storage yard.
This important artifact was part of the Smithsonian’s collection and has recently been “deaccessioned” or taken off their books. JCSM has been told that it is ours for the taking, otherwise it will be scrapped. In October 2009, Museum Director Mike Maguire and Board Member Mark Calhoun made a trip to inspect the gondola and found it in very good condition.
Efforts are now under way to return this important artifact to its rightful home at Johnsville Centrifuge and Science Museum. Several local trucking companies have generously offered to transport the gondola to the museum for restoration prior to its being put on permanent display.
Since it is an oversized load, permits are required to transport it from Maryland to Johnsville. We are currently in the midst of fundraising efforts to cover the costs of these permits.
