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Contact: Meridyth Moore, (281) 709-8124, [email protected]
Space Center Houston’s Summer Lineup Explores Astronaut Training
HOUSTON, May 17, 2021 –This summer Space Center Houston provides guests a rare look at how astronauts are training for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Discover how astronauts train on land, underwater and beyond. Only Space Center Houston takes the general public behind the scenes to NASA Johnson Space Center, the home of astronaut training.
“Astronauts are training right now to enable our discovery and further our understanding of life on Earth and our solar system,” said William T. Harris, the nonprofit’s president and CEO. “Learn how astronauts train similar to an extreme athlete in our new summer exhibit, see actual training facilities aboard the NASA Tram Tour and explore our extensive artifact collection featuring training vehicles used to prepare astronauts for spaceflight.”
Soak up the summer with unique astronaut experiences, including Breakfast with an Astronaut, an ultimate experience with the most access to a NASA astronaut. Get a glimpse into the space program from an astronaut's perspective while enjoying a delicious breakfast catered by Wolfgang Puck, and guests take home a personalized photograph from the guest astronaut. Breakfast with an Astronaut occurs Fridays and Saturdays 8:30-9:30 a.m. in The Food Lab. Adult tickets are $99.95 and child (ages 4-11) tickets are $79.95.
Dive into the world of extreme sports with Space Center Houston’s new summer exhibit, Beyond Human Limits. Experience the thrill of extreme sports in exciting, interactive exhibits and immersive environments. Explore the technology, creativity and innovation inherent in these sports. The exhibit, developed and produced by Science North in partnership with the Ontario Science Center, illustrates that participation in extreme sports requires skill, training, proper use of specialized equipment and smart decision-making. In our Beyond Human Limits exclusive content, discover the similarities between the training and preparation astronauts complete for spaceflight and the training that goes into extreme sports. Beyond Human Limits opens May 29 and runs through Sept. 6.
See the newly installed one-of-a-kind, seven-foot bronze statue depicting the Apollo 13 astronauts, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise. The Apollo 13 sculpture is the center’s newest addition to Rocket Park as part of its NASA Tram Tour experience. The new Apollo 13 bronze statue, by George and Mark Lundeen and Joey Bainer, depicts the safe return of Apollo 13 astronauts, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise the moment they stepped down from the recovery helicopter onto the USS Iwo Jima, a United States Navy assault ship. The sculpture’s placement at Space Center Houston serves to honor both the Apollo 13 astronauts and the flight controllers in Mission Control at NASA Johnson Space Center who worked around the clock for more than five days to ensure the crew’s survival and safe return.
The center houses an extensive collection of actual spacecraft and training vehicles used in human space exploration. Walk inside the Skylab Trainer, created out of the final stage of a Saturn V rocket. This habitable spacecraft was designed to develop methods of living and working in space for long periods. A future Orion service module atop the Space Launch System will return astronauts to the Moon as a part of NASA’s Artemis program. Peer inside a full-size Orion research model used by engineers from NASA Johnson Space Center and Lockheed Martin to study ergonomics and astronaut emergency escape procedures.
Experience exceptional access to what’s happening now in human space exploration at Space Center Houston. Purchase a parking pass and an advance timed ticket at www.spacecenter.org. Prices range from $24.95 for children to $29.95 for adults, with discounts for seniors and members of the military. Become a member by May Space Center Houston | @SpaceCenterHou | spacecenter.org/news
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31 and save 10 percent off new memberships. Members receive year-round benefits, including access to Member Exhibit Openings and free parking.
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The Manned Space Flight Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit science and space exploration learning center with extensive educational programs. Space Center Houston is the cornerstone of its mission to inspire all generations through the wonders of space exploration. The center draws more than 1.25 million visitors annually, was named “Best Museum in Texas” by USA Today and generates a $118.7 million annual economic impact in the greater Houston area. Space Center Houston is a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center and a Certified Autism Center. More than 250,000 teachers and students from around the world visit the center annually to experience the educational space museum with more than 400 things to see and do. For more information, go to www.spacecenter.org.
SOURCE: Manned Space Flight Education Foundation
Space Center Houston | @SpaceCenterHou | spacecenter.org/news