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 has been safely sitting in their outside storage yard, away from public view, for over 45 years.
This important artifact was part of the Smithsonian’s collection and has recently been “deaccessioned” or taken off their books. Johnsville Centrifuge & Science Museum has been told that it is ours for the taking. In October 2009, Museum Director Mike Maguire and Board Vice President Mark Calhoun made a trip to inspect the gondola and found it in very good condition. As of April 2011, discussions with the National Air and Space Museum have been very fruitful and final approvals are now in process to officially transfer ownership of the gondola to Johnsville Centrifuge & Science Museum.
Efforts are now under way to bring this important piece of space history home to Bucks County. We are working with several local trucking companies to make arrangements to transport the gondola to Warminster where it will be on display adjacent to the Penn State Anechoic Chamber on Bristol Road where we plan to begin preservation work. Since it is an oversized load, permits are required to transport it from Maryland. We are currently in the midst of fundraising efforts to cover the costs of these permits. Corporate sponsorships are available, or you can make a personal donation to help by clicking on the “Donate” button on the left hand border of our website.
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