For the first time since 1997, NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, will open its gates and welcome 120,000 visitors with reserved tickets to share its world-class space and aeronautics research campus. Featured exhibits on display across the center include:

“Arc Jet Alley,” featuring entry, descent and landing technologies as well as thermal protection systems; 

A “Science Showcase” of Ames’ space biosciences payloads and research onboard the International Space Station, as well as astrochemistry research;

NASA missions, including K2, which uses the Kepler space telescope, and the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA);

“Technology Way” with information about NASA CubeSats and small spacecraft missions, NASA’s technology portfolio, Ames’ SpaceShop advanced manufacturing and Ames’ rotorcraft research;

A children’s activity area featuring full-scale and fully functional simulators provided by the Traveling Space Museum Inc.;

Unmanned aerial vehicles used for Earth science research;

Displays from NASA Research Park partners and static aircraft on the Moffett airfield near Hangar One, including:

NASA’s Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft and C-20/G-III equipped with an Unmanned Air Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar

California Air National Guard’s C-130 and HH-60 Pave Hawk

U.S. Army’s Blackhawk

Flight Research Associates’ GlaStar

GaryAir’s Malibu/Matrix

Gates will open to event visitors with 9 a.m. entry reservations at 8:30 a.m. PDT. At 9 a.m. U.S. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo will make remarks at an opening ceremony. “Ask a NASA Expert” panel discussions will be held at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The event ends at 5 p.m. 

Media interested in attending should contact Rachel Hoover at rachel.hoover@nasa.gov by noon, Friday, Oct. 17. It is recommended media plan to arrive before 8 a.m. to avoid traffic congestion. When responding, please include your organization’s planned time of arrival and live truck needs.

Ames is located at Moffett Field, California. California Highway Patrol plans to close the Moffett Blvd. off-ramps on U.S. Highway 101 at 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 18. Media should plan to enter Ames on Moffett Blvd at the main gate. Public Affairs staff must escort media to reserved parking.

The event media center, which will be located at Building 19, will open at 7:30 a.m. No electrical power will be provided. Public Affairs staff will be available to facilitate interviews with Ames center management and researchers, and to help media get to event activity locations.

For more information about the open house, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ames/openhouse2014

For more information about Ames, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ames