"We choose to go to the moon in this decade..."
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"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
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On September 12, 1962, President John F. Kennedy spoke in Rice Stadium to challenge the United States to become “the world’s leading space-faring nation,” and fewer then seven years later, the whole world watched as “Houston” became the first word spoken on the surface of the moon, and NASA Astronaut Neil Armstrong took “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
In commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing and Houston’s central role as the home of NASA Mission Control, SpaceFest will present a four-day celebration of NASA programs of the past, present and future.
Schedule of Events
SpaceFest activities at Discovery Green are all free and open to the public; refreshments available for purchase.
Activities at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences require museum admission or a planetarium ticket.
Apollo 11 Audio Time Capsule
Click to listen to an audio retrospective of the Apollo 11 mission, replayed on the Internet at exactly the same times and dates as the original 1969 broadcast. The Web stream will feature the communications between the Apollo 11 astronauts and ground teams, and commentary from Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and begins at 6:32 a.m. CDT on Thursday, July 16 (two hours before the Apollo 11 space spacecraft launched on that date in 1969) and will continue through splashdown of the mission at 11:51 a.m. CDT Friday, July 24, and recovery of the crew shortly afterward. Also, please be sure to visit NASA's Apollo 11 history page at http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo11
Houston Museum of Natural Science
– Please visit http://www.hmns.org/museum_info/visit.asp for address and parking information
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. |
Special one-day exhibit of past and future space missions |
12, 2:30 & 5 p.m. |
“Dawn of the Space Age” |
Discovery Green
– Please visit http://www.discoverygreen.com/ for address and parking information.
Friday July 17
6 – 8:30 p.m.
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Live Music by NASA Astronaut band Max Q
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Wish Wall Interactive Exhibit
Where were you when NASA Astronauts landed on the moon? Where should we go next?
Shoot the Moon
A fun interactive activity for kids--learn the basics of how a rocket lifts off then launch your own!
Hourly short talk on how what an engineer is/does for upper elementary and middle school-aged
youngsters. Presented by the Rice Space Institute and the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics (aiaa.org)- Discovery Dome theatre presents free continuous showings of:
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Dawn of the Space Age
From the launch of the Russian satellite, “Sputnik,” to the
present day, Dawn of the Space Age documents more than
a half-century humankind’s exploration of space.
Run time: approximately 30 minutes.
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Earth’s Wild Ride
What would it be like to live on a lunar space colony in 2081,
with the earth a beautiful blue marble shining outside your window? A grandfather explains to his grandchildren the things that make Earth unique while they watch the Moon’s shadow cross the Earth. Run time: approximately 20 minutes.
Future Moon
Narrator Walter Cronkite honors the Apollo astronauts who first landed on the moon in 1969, and leads a realistic voyage to a lunar colony of tomorrow.
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One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure
Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Elmo, together with their friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, take viewers on a journey of discovery to learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Sun and the Moon.
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“Why the Moon?”
See President John F. Kennedy’s historic 1962 Rice Stadium speech in its entirety in the Houston Public Library's HPL Express Discovery Green location at 11 a.m. and 12, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 p.m. (Program runs 21 minutes.)
8:30 p.m.
Free family film: In the Shadow of the Moon (2007, rated PG, 109 minutes).
Remember when the whole world looked up? The story of the Apollo moon missions told by the astronauts and mission controllers who made them happen. Presented under the stars at the Anheuser-Busch stage.
The story of NASA’s Apollo missions told by Astronauts and mission controllers in their own words.
Saturday, July 18
10 a.m. — 6 p.m.
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Shoot the Moon
A fun interactive activity for kids--learn the basics of how a rocket lifts off then launch your own!
Hourly short talk on how what an engineer is/does for upper elementary and middle school-aged
youngsters. Presented by the Rice Space Institute and the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics (aiaa.org)
10 a.m. — 8:30 p.m.
-
Discovery Dome theatre presents free continuous showings of:
-
Dawn of the Space Age
From the launch of the Russian satellite, “Sputnik,” to the
present day, Dawn of the Space Age documents more than
a half-century humankind’s exploration of space.
Run time: approximately 30 minutes.
-
Earth’s Wild Ride
What would it be like to live on a lunar space colony in 2081,
with the earth a beautiful blue marble shining outside your window? A grandfather explains to his grandchildren the things that make Earth unique while they watch the Moon’s shadow cross the Earth. Run time: approximately 20 minutes.
- Future Moon
Narrator Walter Cronkite honors the Apollo astronauts who first landed on the moon in 1969, and leads a realistic voyage to a lunar colony of tomorrow.
-
One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure
Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Elmo, together with their friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, take viewers on a journey of discovery to learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Sun and the Moon.
-
“Why the Moon?”
See President John F. Kennedy’s historic 1962 Rice Stadium speech in its entirety in the Houston Public Library's HPL Express Discovery Green location at 12 noon and 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 p.m. (Program runs 21 minutes.)
7—9 p.m.
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Wish Wall Interactive Exhibit
"Where were you when NASA Astronauts landed on the moon? Where should we go next? "
8:30 p.m.
Free family film: Apollo 13 (1995, rated PG, 140 minutes). Director Ron Howard’s inspiring true story of how the men and women of NASA mission control heard “Houston, we have a problem,” and responded “Failure is not an option.” Presented under the stars at the Anheuser-Busch stage.
Sunday, July 19
Noon to 4 p.m.
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Wish Wall Interactive Exhibit
Where were you when NASA Astronauts landed on the moon? Where should we go next?
-
Discovery Dome theatre presents free continuous showings of:
-
Dawn of the Space Age
From the launch of the Russian satellite, “Sputnik,” to the
present day, Dawn of the Space Age documents more than
a half-century humankind’s exploration of space.
Run time: approximately 30 minutes.
-
Earth’s Wild Ride
What would it be like to live on a lunar space colony in 2081,
with the earth a beautiful blue marble shining outside your window? A grandfather explains to his grandchildren the things that make Earth unique while they watch the Moon’s shadow cross the Earth. Run time: approximately 20 minutes.
- Future Moon
Narrator Walter Cronkite honors the Apollo astronauts who first landed on the moon in 1969, and leads a realistic voyage to a lunar colony of tomorrow.
-
One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure
Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Elmo, together with their friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, take viewers on a journey of discovery to learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Sun and the Moon.
Why the Moon?”
See President John F. Kennedy’s historic 1962 Rice Stadium speech in its entirety in the Houston Public Library's HPL Express Discovery Green location at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 p.m. (Program runs 21 minutes.)
- Green Market
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Green Market, a project of Central City Co-op, brings organic produce and agricultural products to the Promenade! Come shop with our local farmers and artisans.
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Stomp Rockets
A fun interactive activity for kids--learn the basics of how a rocket lifts off then launch your own!
Hourly short talk on how what an engineer is/does for upper elementary and middle school-aged
youngsters. Presented by the Rice Space Institute and the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics (aiaa.org)
Monday, July 20
4-8pm
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Stomp Rockets
A fun interactive activity for kids--learn the basics of how a rocket lifts off then launch your own!
Hourly short talk on how what an engineer is/does for upper elementary and middle school-aged
youngsters. Presented by the Rice Space Institute and the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics (aiaa.org)
4 – 9 p.m.
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NASA “Driven to Explore” Mobile Exhibit
A mobile multimedia experience showcasing the Shuttle Program, the progress of the International Space Station and benefits of space exploration leading into NASA’s next major program, Constellation. The walking tour includes breathtaking imagery and state-of-the-art models of the Constellation Program’s next-generation launch vehicles and human spacecraft destined for use to explore the moon and beyond.
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NASA Photo Opp.
Take photos with your own cameras using interactive NASA photo exhibits.
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Starport Exchange
Space souvenirs for sale.
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Wish Wall Interactive Exhibit
Where were you when NASA Astronauts landed on the moon? Where should we go next?
-
Discovery Dome theatre presents free continuous showings of:
-
Dawn of the Space Age
From the launch of the Russian satellite, “Sputnik,” to the
present day, Dawn of the Space Age documents more than
a half-century humankind’s exploration of space.
Run time: approximately 30 minutes.
-
Earth’s Wild Ride
What would it be like to live on a lunar space colony in 2081,
with the earth a beautiful blue marble shining outside your window? A grandfather explains to his grandchildren the things that make Earth unique while they watch the Moon’s shadow cross the Earth. Run time: approximately 20 minutes.
- Future Moon
Narrator Walter Cronkite honors the Apollo astronauts who first landed on the moon in 1969, and leads a realistic voyage to a lunar colony of tomorrow.
-
One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure
Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Elmo, together with their friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, take viewers on a journey of discovery to learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Sun and the Moon.
“Why the Moon?”
See President John F. Kennedy’s historic 1962 Rice Stadium speech in its entirety in the Houston Public Library's HPL Express Discovery Green location at 11 a.m. and 12, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 p.m. (Program runs 21 minutes.)
-
Johnson Space Center Rocket Club launches rockets from the Jones Lawn
5 – 7:15 p.m.
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Live Music: El Orbits
7:05 p.m.
NASA Night at the Astros (Minute Maid Park--ticket required)
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, the first 10,000 ticketed fans at the July 20th game will receive a commemorative Apollo 11 – Astros cap that match the ones the team will wear for this special game. Before the Astros take on the Cardinals, hear the national anthem sung by NASA astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger and watch the first pitch by 7 Apollo-era veterans.
7:15 p.m.
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7:15 p.m. Cirque du Soleil Animation: performers mix with the audience
7:30 – 8:00 p.m.
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KPRC TV's Daniella Guzman introduces the world famous Cirque du Soleil performers with a short preview from Saltimbanco
8:15 p.m.
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Video Program
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CIRQUE DU SOLEIL - Then and Now
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Video Downlink from International Space Station
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“APOLLO 11 FOR ALL MANKIND” ( 34 min) The first landing of men on the Moon is the culmination of a dream. A new concept of reality begins as man stands on the threshold of a new age. Includes onboard tapes and scenes showing launch, lunar orbit, landing, EVA, rendezvous, recovery, and return to Houston, Texas.
KPRC "Eyes of Texas"
July 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of Man Walking on the Moon--the culmination of an impossible dream set in motion by John F. Kennedy and carried out by the men and women of NASA. KPRC Local 2 takes a look at their Journey and how Houston became the home of NASA mission control.