Visits To Three Cities Planned Around The State In September

Kansans have the rare chance to touch a nearly 4-billion-year-old piece of moon rock at NASA's "Driven to Explore" traveling exhibit, a multimedia experience that immerses visitors in the story of NASA. The tour will stop in Kansas City at the Goodguys Midwestern Nationals Rod and Custom Car Show, Kansas Speedway, Friday, Sept. 2 through Sunday, Sept. 4. It will then move on to Wichita for a visit to Exploration Place on Wednesday, Sept. 7 and Thursday, Sept. 8, and wrap up the three-city tour in Hutchinson at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center, Thursday, Sept. 15 through the Saturday, Sept. 17.

"Driven to Explore" allows visitors to learn why we explore and to discover the challenges of human space exploration and how NASA provides critical technological advances to improve life on Earth. The exhibit highlights advanced human research that will ensure safe and sustainable future missions, and next-generation vehicles and surface systems destined for use to exploring beyond low Earth orbit. The centerpiece of Driven to Explore is the opportunity to touch a lunar rock brought to Earth by the astronauts of Apollo 17 in 1972, America's last human mission to the moon. The rock is one of only eight lunar samples the public can touch.

In addition, NASA employees will be around the state raising awareness about space exploration. NASA engineer Antja Chambers will visit Christa McAuliffe Elementary in Shawnee Mission on Sept. 2 to discuss how spacesuits are developed and constructed. 

On Sept. 14, NASA representatives Richard Watson and Lisa Spence will be at the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene to discuss NASA's current space programs.

FMI: www.nasa.gov/exploration