TexasCHLforum.com

ctb5 wrote:

Dragonfighter wrote:NASA is not a federal agency though they are funded largely by the Feds and answer to the vice POTUS. They are a government contractor.

NASA most certainly is a federal agency, and JSC is federal property. Firearms are completely prohibited: JSC employees aren't even allowed to leave firearms in their cars when on site.

No argument here about the property. This may seem like splitting hairs but NASA (formerly NACA) was formed as a civilian entity contracted for flight test with an end toward space exploration. In that they operate under the auspices and with funding and authority of the Federal Government. Kind of like the IRS being an entity of the Federal reserve but operates with authority of the Federal Government.

I do not have enough knowledge of the "rules" that JSC has always operated under (rules having the force of law IIRC) but they definitely were aware of the CHL's in the late nineties because of the procedure I described. What if anything has changed I am not sure but at least on a procedural basis they accommodated us by having us secure such things in lockers before entering secured areas like mission control.

alvins wrote:yea and nasa security is more then just rent-a-cops.i wouldnt try it.

Yeah they look pretty serious with their MP5 (or a reasonable facsimile) across their chest and a P229 on their belt.

I wonder about the federal ownership though, prior to 9-11 we went for a homeschool day, there were no warning signs posted, no searches nor metal detectors until we went to the Mission Control center. We were told by security that no bags or weapons were allowed beyond the lobby and to secure anything like that in the lockers and take the key. Myself and at least two other dads discreetly removed our fanny packs (yes...fanny packs ) and secured them in the lockers.

When we completed the tour, we came out, retrieved our respective man purses and went on the tram for the rest of the day. All of this in full view of the truly serious looking security personnel. Now some may have been more twitchy if there were Crossbreeds being chunked in there.

I would hate to think I was in violation of Federal law but they specifically mentioned weapons and didn't bat an eye.

Added in Edit:

NASA is not a federal agency though they are funded largely by the Feds and answer to the vice POTUS. They are a government contractor.

Interestingly Space Center Houston (the visitors center) says on their site:

Space Center Houston wrote:Space Center Houston is the Official Visitors Center of NASA's Johnson Space Center, which is the home of astronaut training and Mission Control. We are a separate 501(c)(3) organization, not a government agency.

But on a thread discussing the Rice lease myth, there were links to both deeds for the major purchases by the Federal Government. So the land is definitely Federal.