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 visit three Iowa cities Aug. 7-28.
The NASA Exploration Experience kicks off its state tour Aug. 7-10 in West Point, during the Sweet Corn Festival. The tour will continue Aug. 13-15 at the Iowa Children’s Museum in Coralville, and will conclude Aug. 26-28 at Ames High School in Ames.
NASA officials hope the traveling exhibit, which is free and wheelchair-accessible, will give visitors of all ages a vivid glimpse into the nation’s ambitious future in space.
“The multimedia exhibit simulates a breathtaking visit to the first destination on America’s new journey into the solar system — Earth’s moon,” said outreach coordinator Kirk Pierce, an exhibit spokesperson from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., which manages the exhibit for NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington.
“We hope the experience will help people better understand how the country plans to explore the moon and journey beyond in the next decade or so,” Pierce added.
“Interactive control panels and activity station, immersive 3D imagery and audio effects will plunge visitors into a not-too-distant future on the moon,” he said. “They’ll discover what it will be like to live and work on the surfaces of other worlds — and how that work will benefit life back home on Earth.”
NASA staffers will be available during tours, which take about 12 minutes, 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.
“Exhibit visitors can learn how our quality of life improves when America’s space exploration activities refine existing technologies and develop new breakthroughs in areas such as power generation, computer technology, communications and robotics,” Pierce said. “Visitors also can learn how other advanced technologies are increasing the safety and reliability of space transportation systems, while also reducing costs.”
For more information about NASA’s exploration mission, visit:
