Learn about America’s Vision for Space Exploration, meet NASA’s astronauts and view high-tech NASA aircraft at the 22nd annual Wings Over Houston Airshow Oct. 21-22 at Ellington Field in Houston.
On display at NASA’s exhibit tent will be a model of the next-generation ARES I rocket that will send future astronauts to orbit and a mockup of NASA’s human-like robot called Robonaut. Attendees of all ages are invited to participate in a variety of games to win NASA prizes.
This year, Wings Over Houston welcomes back the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. For the first time in U.S. history, the Thunderbird team includes a female pilot, flying Thunderbird 3.
NASA will have an exciting array of training, research and cargo aircraft on display, including:
- A supersonic T-38 jet trainer used for spaceflight readiness training.
- The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747 jet that carries the space shuttle orbiters piggyback to Florida if it lands in other locations.
- The Shuttle Training Aircraft, an aircraft modified to imitate the flying characteristics of the shuttle during its approach and landing.
- The WB-57 aircraft, a mid-wing, long-range aircraft used for high-altitude research missions.
- The Super Guppy, a giant Boeing 377 cargo craft which opens its entire forward fuselage to transport huge segments of space hardware.
- The C-9 aircraft that is used to fly a unique trajectory that creates periods of reduced gravity for training and experiments.
Media may tour the NASA aircraft and exhibits. Interview opportunities with astronauts will follow the astronaut autograph sessions scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the NASA tent. For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Debbie Sharp at 281-483-4942.
For information on Wings Over Houston, visit:
http://www.wingsoverhouston.com
For more information about NASA on the Internet, visit:
