America’s plans for opening the space frontier – including new human exploration of Earth’s moon and future voyages into the solar system beyond – are featured in an interactive exhibit scheduled to tour Oregon State Aug. 28 – Sept. 20.

Hosted by NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., the NASA Exploration Experience traveling exhibit gives visitors a vivid glimpse into the nation’s ambitious future in space.

“We hope the multimedia experience helps people better understand how the country plans to explore the moon and journey beyond in the next decade or so,” said outreach coordinator Sarah (Keyke) Reed, from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

The first stop in the Oregon State tour kicks off Aug. 28-30 in Hillsboro, where the exhibit will be on display at the International Air Show from Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Aug. 29-30 at 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT. The tour continues at the Vernon Elementary School, a NASA Explorer School, in Portland, Ore., from Sept. 14-15, before moving on to the last stop at the Science Works Museum in Ashland, Ore., Sept. 18-20.

NASA staffers will be available at each tour stop to answer questions and discuss some of the thousands of technologies used on Earth as a result of years of space-based research and development by the agency and its partners.

Touring the NASA Exploration Experience exhibit takes approximately 10 minutes. The exhibit is free and wheelchair-accessible. Exhibit visitors also can have their photos taken in a space suit standing in front of a lunar landscape. NASA’s Marshall Center manages the traveling exhibit for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C.

In addition to the traveling exhibit, “Robots on the Road,” a hands-on robotics experience, will demonstrate how NASA utilizes robotics in exploration. “Robots on the Road” also will visit the Evergreen and Space Museum in McMinnville, Ore. on Aug. 24.

NASA’s Aerospace Education Services Project, a NASA resource that delivers education programs in all 50 states and US territories, supports the Exploration Experience Exhibit. At this time, a pre-service professional development workshop is planned with Pacific University on Sept. 28 and 29. The point of contact for this workshop is Tony Leavitt at anthony.d.leavitt@nasa.gov.

For more information about the traveling exhibit, visit: http://exploration.nasa.gov