Event blasts off with family-fun festivities featuring kids talking LIVE to an astronaut aboard the International Space Station
Thanks to the Frontiers of Flight Museum, you don’t have to visit a “galaxy far, far away” to experience the wonders of space exploration, astronomy, see incredible science exhibits or travel inside an inflatable planetarium! Star gazers and space enthusiasts of all ages can now trek over to the family-fun activities at Moon Day 2015. The celebration, which is the biggest annual space exposition in Texas, is set for Saturday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Frontiers of Flight Museum, 6911 Lemmon Ave. Cost is $7-$10 and Museum members and children 3 and under are free. Visit: www.flightmuseum.com.
In 2009, Moon Day was created in Dallas by Frontiers of Flight Museum and the National Space Society of North Texas as an annual event to celebrate space exploration on or near the anniversary of the first Moon landing. The festival is a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) focused space-themed public event, which continues to attract participants across North Texas and beyond.
This year, Moon Day will commemorate the 46th anniversary of the first lunar landing, which took place when Apollo 11 touched down on July 20, 1969.
“While the anniversary of the first Moon landing serves as a reason to celebrate, the Frontiers of Flight Museum and the National Space Society of North Texas have created an annual event to showcase the present and future of space exploration,” said Bruce Bleakley, Museum Director of the Frontiers of Flight Museum. “Our extensive content is provided by local and regional space-related organizations, who work—as we do—to inspire new generations to embrace a scientific and technological future.”
Today, Moon Day is a community-wide family-fun event which draws more than 1,000 attendees.
The celebration draws members of the local space community to showcase their exhibits, lectures and demonstrations for the public, and it offers visitors the chance to experience space in a whole new way. Participants learn not only about space activities, but also about the local resources available to educate and support space-related functions and programming.
Unique demonstrations and interesting programs aren’t the only attractions at Moon Day 2015. Visitors will enjoy a full day of activities featuring space-related displays from three dozen exhibitors. Also, the first 200 kids through the door will receive a “Lunar Sample Bag” full of space-related posters, magazines, trading cards, and other items.
Kids Talk Live to International Space Station Crew and meet the first private female space traveler
One of the highlights will be a live question-and-answer session between local students and a member of the crew aboard the International Space Station, asking questions they submitted in advance for consideration. The session, which is open to the public in the Museum’s Hamilton Family Auditorium, is planned to begin at approximately 11:30 a.m.
Immediately after the question-and-answer with the Space Station, the students and the general public will have a chance to hear a presentation by space traveler Anousheh Ansari, who captured headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer.
Other programs include 22 classes and lectures in Moon Academy, Lunar University and Teacher Workshops. Students will also be able to construct and launch their own rockets, or even create space art among a variety of interactive activities.
Bleakley explained that visitors who might not feel technically proficient in space topics will still enjoy Moon Day. “Space exploration is fundamentally a human story, told in art and song, literature and poetry,” he said. “It is the next great chapter in the human story, and everyone can be a part of it in some way.”
For more information on Moon Day 2015 Presented by the Frontiers of Flight Museum and the National Space Society of North Texas visit: www.flightmuseum.com or call (214) 350-3600.
About the Frontiers of Flight Museum
The Frontiers of Flight Museum is conveniently located just north of downtown on Lemmon Avenue at the southeast side of Dallas Love Field Airport, north of Mockingbird Lane. Housed in a modern 100,000- square-foot facility, the Museum provides a focal point to explore the history and progress of aviation, as mankind continues to pursue going higher, faster and farther. Hours of operation: Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Adults $10; Seniors (65+) $8; Youths/Students (3-17) $7 and children under 3 are free. For more information, visit www.flightmuseum.com.