Science Tips Tips Tricks Technology Wednesday: Museum of Natural History Will Hold Special Online Event for First Space Flight in Almost a Decade

Posted on May 26, 2020 at 4:48 pm by West Sider

Photo via NASA.

Private company SpaceX will be sending a man into space on Wednesday, the first human flight from the U.S. in nearly a decade. To mark the event, the Museum of Natural History is holding a Spacefest online so people can watch the launch and learn about it from the museum’s experts.

• 11 am: Scientists at Home: Imagining Space Exploration: Join Museum Curator Ruth Angus as she examines the awe-inspiring leap from imagination to scientific achievement in space exploration.  From novelist Jules Verne to astronaut Neil Armstrong,  learn how some of the most creative minds spurred unique scientific accomplishments, including human missions to space.

• Get inspired by this dynamic presentation to illustrate your own dream of space travel! The May 27 OLogy Challenge, an at-home activity for students from the Museum’s science website for kids, will launch during the program. Submit your illustration for a chance to be featured on the Museum’s OLogy website!

• 1 pm: Field Trip: Spaceflight Live Watch Party: Ride along with the Museum’s Director of Astrovisualization Carter Emmart and astrophysicist Jackie Faherty on their mission from Earth to the International Space Station, to the Moon, and beyond.  Like mapping out a cross-country car trip, sending humans into space takes a lot of planning.  Weather, distance, detours, traffic, and sightseeing all come into play. Experience the thrill of space flight, see the sites, and discover what goes into planning a successful mission to space.

• 4:05 pm: The Future of Space Exploration with Neil deGrasse Tyson: Watch the SpaceX Crew Dragon launch live from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center with commentary from Hayden Planetarium Director Neil deGrasse Tyson, Museum astrophysicist Jackie Faherty and Museum Curator Michael Shara as they discuss the future for human missions to space.  Viewers interested in asking questions for Neil or Jackie to answer live can send their queries in advance to publicprograms@amnh.org.