Visit the only museum of paratransit guide space flight
Exclusively at The Memphis Center for Independent Living

John Kennedy

Some may ask, “why go to the moon?” And they may well ask, “why climb the highest mountain? Why thirty-five-years-ago fly the Atlantic?” We choose to go to the moon … and do the other things. Not because they are easy, but because they are hard.
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy,  Thirty-fifth President of the United States 

When The Memphis Center for Independent Living undertook building Memphis Area Transit Authority Paratransit Rider’s Guides into rockets, many people felt there was no reason for the mission. After reading the paratransit guide; however, most people changed their mind and could not think of a better use of the MATA Rider’s guide than to attempt to send it into orbit.

The launch of MATAplus 3

The paratransit guide flights began slowly, with the first four rockets barely making it to the roof level of the flight-testing site at 1633 Madison Avenue . From the parking lot, MCIL launched 7 paratransit guides, with staff assigned to duties of launch control, safety and recovery.

The final 3 flights all were over 100 feet, with a record altitude of approximately 250 feet. Unfortunately, to-date, no MATA paratransit guide rocket has successfully deployed a parachute. All have crashed near to the launch pad.

You may visit the museum that details all of the exciting flights of paratransit rider’s guides at MCIL, Monday – Friday, 9 to 5. There is no charge and a free MATA Paratransit Rider’s Guide is available to guests of the museum while supplies last.

-Tim Wheat