Mon 7/25-Sun 7/31
It’s Space Adventure Week at the Great Lakes Science Center! During that week, families and guests of all ages can visit the NASA Glenn Visitor Center at the GLSC to experience out-of-this-world fun as we experiment with different forces, test different theories and explore space.
“Anyone who is interested in the U.S. space program, its history and how the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland continues to play such an important role in the ongoing exploration of the universe,” shares Joe Yachanin, communications director at GLSC. “What makes this event special is that it allows us to focus on and celebrate our NASA Glenn Visitor Center and help satisfy people’s interest in space and aviation. Through the Science Center’s relationship with NASA and the fact that we are the location of one of only 11 NASA visitor centers in the nation, we can help people become more aware of what’s going on in aerospace research and expose them to practical applications of science, technology, engineering and math.”
The NASA Glenn Visitor Center is one of the most popular exhibit gallery areas at GLSC. As a special thank you to guests, and in celebration of NASA Glenn’s 75th anniversary, the Science Center will stay open from 5-9pm on Wed 7/27. All guests will receive free general admission during these hours. The evening will feature special talks and demonstrations by NASA researchers highlighting Glenn’s areas of expertise.
Guests can visit the Picture Yourself in Space photo opportunity and take home a free souvenir photo of themselves in space, pose with Eva, a larger-than-life, inflatable “astronaut” from NASA who will be space walking around the Science Center, make a rubber band rocket, explore aerodynamics and air pressure by building their own “air rider” and watching it hover in a wind tube, and figure out how high they could jump on the moon and Mars — and try to shoot a basketball under the simulated constraints of microgravity. (Now that’s cool!)
Space Adventure Week features the Out of This World demonstration, examining forces such as gravity and friction and how they affect humans, how we live and work on the Earth and aboard the International Space Station, and the Lift-Off Science Spectacular demonstration which explores the chemistry and physics of getting off the ground, the first step in any outer space launch.
“So many contributions to the space program and advancements in aeronautics came from Cleveland, from NASA Glenn, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year,” explains Joe. “Something Clevelanders can be proud about, and at GLSC in the Visitor Center they can learn more. NASA Glenn is a great partner for events like this since we have access to some special exhibits we can use all week, like the Picture Yourself in Space photobooth or the Eva inflatable astronaut. And we can get the authenticity — we get the actual engineers or scientists from NASA here to talk to people about what they do. There are science experiments being run on the International Space Station that came from right here at NASA Glenn and they’re going on right now in orbit!”
The event is a perfect opportunity to catch A Beautiful Planet in the Science Center’s six-story, domed OMNIMAX Theater. Filmed in cooperation with NASA and narrated by Jennifer Lawrence, this film is a unique look at our world as captured by the astronauts on board the space station. (Extra admission applies for OMNIMAX movies.)
[written by: Kendall Embrescia-Hridel]
Cleveland, OH 44114