One of the many great things to do on a visit to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center is to take a close look at some of the artifacts on display. Atlantis herself, of course, is a star attraction, but there are a lot of other things that are not as flashy as an entire Space Shuttle Orbiter but are incredibly interesting in their own right: for example, one of Atlantis’s hatches.
Note that the instructions are both right-side-up and upside down. After all, in orbit, there really is no “up” or “down” and that in mind, the instructions were to be easily read in any orientation.
Other things is the “Unlocked” indicator on the handle. This is a door that’s not made to be casually opened, and the bright red indicator makes it clear that’s possible in its current configuration.
Finally, the hatch locking mechanisms are lightweight, yet incredibly strong and durable.
All in all, this is a fine piece of engineering that one might overlook if they don’t take the time to give it a good look.
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Photo ©2022 Charles Boyer / Creative Commons-Attribution license