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Investigating Space: Back to the Moon
Learn about the technology behind NASA’s next big mission to the Moon!
Saturday, May 21
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Studio 3
Free With General Admission
NASA’s Artemis mission hopes to return humans to the Moon by 2025. How are they going to get there? Get a sneak peek at the Orion spacecraft, designed to take humans farther than we have ever gone before! In this latest installment of Investigating Space, learn more about the fascinating engineering approaches that NASA uses to send its spacecraft and crew safely to the Moon and back.
Join us every third Saturday of the month for Investigating Space as we explore and discuss the big topics in space exploration with some of the leading scientists and researchers in the Bay Area. In this new series Chabot Space & Science Center highlights the latest discoveries, science research and space missions.
Investigating Space is hosted by Chabot Museum Educator Maxwell Edmonds-Drati.
Schedule
11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Build Rockets With NASA Ames
Join NASA staff to construct small paper rockets, determine their flight stability, and launch them on the Observation Deck.
Jonas Dino is a Public Engagement Specialist at NASA Ames.
12 p.m. Howard Hu, “Inside NASA’s Orion Moon program”
NASA’s Howard Hu will join us virtually to discuss Orion’s progress and the spacecraft’s fundamental role in NASA’s Artemis missions, which will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon and lead the next steps of human exploration for future missions to Mars. Orion is poised to make its first uncrewed flight test around the Moon in the coming months on NASA’s Artemis I mission.
Howard Hu is manager of NASA’s Orion Program, based at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Hu is responsible for the design, development, production, and operations of Orion, NASA’s newest spacecraft that will carry astronauts on Artemis missions to the Moon and return them safely to Earth.
Hu has more than 30 years of NASA experience and has served in several key Orion leadership positions, as well as held several key technical and leadership positions in support of NASA human exploration initiatives, the International Space Station, and Space Shuttle Program prior to joining the Orion Program. A native of Seattle, Hu holds Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Washington.
2 p.m. Dan Rasky, “How NASA will return to the surface of the Moon — after a 50-year pause”
Dr. Dan Rasky is a NASA Senior Scientist and the current Chief of the Space Portal Office he co-founded in 2005. From 2005-2006, Dan was a core member of the NASA HQ Team that established the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. He was awarded the Exceptional Achievement medal for promotion of partnerships with the emerging and non-traditional space industry in 2006. In 2007, President George W. Bush conferred on Dr. Rasky the rank of Meritorious Senior Professional for sustained superior accomplishment in public service. Dan was also awarded NASA’s most distinguished recognition for innovators or the “Inventor of the Year” award in 2007 and the “Government Invention of the Year” award in 2009.
His inventions included the Thermal Protections Systems that enabled the Stardust comet sample return mission currently on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. In 2008-2009, Dan worked with SpaceX to develop the thermal protection systems for their Dragon capsule.
Formerly Chief for the Thermal Protections Materials and Systems Branch at NASA Ames, Dan is an internationally recognized expert for space thermal protection and entry systems. He was selected for a series of interviews for his “…breakthrough innovations and answers to complex challenges” viewable on NASA’s official Knowledge@NASA YouTube Channel.
