CLEVELAND – The Visitor Center at NASA’s Glenn Research Center will provide opportunities to learn first-hand about some of the exciting work being done by the nation’s aeronautics and space agency at the Third Saturday Events scheduled for 2008.

The monthly series provides an occasion for visitors to hear directly from NASA engineers, scientists and special guests during presentations held at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the third Saturday of each month. Visitors interested in attending the presentations should call 216-433-9653 to register up to one month in advance to guarantee admission.

Each monthly event will feature free souvenir photos at the “Picture Yourself in Space” digital photo booth, “make and take” crafts for children and take-home handouts on out-of-this-world topics.

All of the Visitor Center’s regular exhibits and historic artifacts will also be on display. These exhibits include a moon rock, an original Apollo Command Module, a flight simulator and over 6,000 square feet of interactive exhibits on subjects related to planets, astronauts, and air and space travel.

Following is a list of the Third Saturday Events for 2008:

January 19 – Inner Space

Find out about the planets Mercury and Venus as NASA prepares for the MESSENGER spacecraft’s first encounter with the innermost planet.

February 16 – NASA in Cleveland!

Join us for a discussion about Glenn Research Center’s origins in Cleveland and how it continues to be an integral part of Northeast Ohio.

March 15 – Space Communications

Learn how NASA utilizes the latest technology to communicate with robotic missions throughout the solar system and how it will communicate with future human expeditions to the moon.

April 19 – Countdown to the Future

As NASA prepares for the first Ares rocket launch, join us as we discuss the status of NASA’s new Constellation program and Glenn’s role in returning humans to the moon.

May 17 & 18 – NASA Glenn Open House

Glenn opens the research center’s doors to the public as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of NASA. The Visitor Center will have special programming for this event.

June 21 – Touchdown on Mars

Join us as we discuss the Phoenix mission to the north polar region of Mars and NASA’s plans for further exploration of the Red Planet.

July 19 – Astronaut Encounter

Learn what it takes to join this exclusive group and what it’s like to be in space from a NASA astronaut.

August 16 – Mr. Hubble’s Telescope

Join us for a discussion about Hubble’s latest servicing mission and the latest astronomical results obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope.

September 20 – Stargazing (extended hours)

Learn more about the night sky and our place in the solar system during our 5th annual astronomy event. Among other activities there will be STARLAB Dome presentations and special day and night telescope viewing.

October 18 & 19 – Space Memorabilia Show

NASA Glenn and collectSPACE.com will host the 4th annual space memorabilia show highlighting space artifacts from the past and present.

November 15 – Sci-Fi or Science Fact?

Join us for a discussion about the continued influence the worlds of science and science fiction have on one another.

December 30 – Space in 3D (Tuesday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

At this special holiday event, join us for a unique view into the exploration of space.

The Visitor Center is located at 21000 Brookpark Road. Admission to the Visitor Center is free, and the building is wheelchair accessible. All adult visitors must present government-issued photo identification upon entering the center’s Main Gate. Access to the center is restricted to U.S. citizens. All vehicles are subject to inspection.

Normal hours of operation are Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.

For more information about the Visitor Center including upcoming events, call 216-433-2000 or visit: http://visit.grc.nasa.gov