Activities Will Highlight Current And Future Aerospace Development In The State

NASA will be back in Austin again for Space Day Texas on March 7, celebrating space exploration through educational and interactive exhibits, astronaut appearances and legislative proclamations that highlight achievements in human exploration throughout the Lone Star State.

NASA and the state of Texas have a longstanding partnership to run the High School Aerospace Scholars program at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA will be displaying that collaboration this year when it takes over the Texas Capitol for "Space Day at the Capitol."

Activities will highlight all current and future aerospace development happening throughout the state. The day will include space exhibits from the International Space Station, the Orion spacecraft, Commercial Crew Program, Johnson Space Center Education and more. Visitors will have a chance to experience a virtual reality spacewalk.

NASA astronauts Rex Walheim and Christina Koch will participate in the event. Walheim is a veteran of three spaceflights. He has logged more than 36 days in space, with more than 36 hours in five spacewalks. Walheim served on STS-110 in 2002, STS-122 in 2008 and STS-135, the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011. Koch was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 2013.  She completed astronaut candidate training in July 2015, and is currently assigned to the International Space Station Crew Operations Branch.

Events for Space Day at the Capitol include:

• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Free interactive exhibits in the Capitol Ground Floor Rotunda
• 10 a.m. to noon: Space proclamations to be read in the Texas House of Representatives and Senate

(Source: NASA news release. Imaged provided)

FMI: www.nasa.gov