Saturday, April 18
Help us celebrate two historic flight missions – Artemis II, the first trip around the Moon since 1972, and Balloon Across the Atlantic, a world record balloon flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
All activities are included with general admission or membership.
Balloon Across the Atlantic
10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Bert Padelt and John Piper are career balloonists in Pennsylvania and New York. With two other pilots, Bert plans to fly a hydrogen-filled gas balloon across the Atlantic this May and achieve a world record for this size balloon. John and a team of meteorologists, balloonists, and colleagues on the ground will help inflate, launch, and give ongoing support and tracking for the flight.
Bert and John will be here at the Science Center for a meet and greet where visitors can ask questions, view memorabilia, and get an up-close look at a balloon gondola.
10:00AM – 10:30AM: Meet & Greet
10:30AM – 11:00AM: Presentation – Learn about sizes, shapes, and types of balloons, and building for a transatlantic flight
11:00AM – 12:00PM.: Meet & Greet
Celebrating Artemis II
1-4 p.m.
Foster your love for space exploration and get inspired for the future:
- Watch highlights of the Artemis II mission on our giant 54′ screen in Curiosity Hall
- Attend a talk and Q&A session with Terry Hart, former Space Shuttle Astronaut and Lehigh University engineering professor
- Talk with representatives from Julabo and Bosch Rexroth – two local Lehigh Valley companies doing NASA-related work
- Meet students and professors from Lehigh University and Cedar Crest College who conduct space-related and/or NASA-funded research
- Observe the sun (weather permitting) and learn about telescopes and astronomy with members of the Lehigh Valley Amateur Astronomical Society
- See a demonstration of the vacuum distillation process that NASA uses to turn urine into potable water on the International Space Station
Artemis II – Back to the Moon
The 10-day mission that began with a spectacular launch on April 1 is the most important human spaceflight mission in a half century. Four brave astronauts are on their way around the far side of the Moon – going farther than anyone has gone before. They’ll splash down off the coast of California on April 10.
Along the way they will test equipment critical for establishing a sustained human presence on the Moon and Mars, monitor the effects of radiation and microgravity on their own health, capture high resolution images of the Moon, and deploy CubeSats for several international space agencies that will collect critical data in high Earth orbit about radiation and space weather.
Keep Up with the Mission
Use the links below to learn more about the Artemis II mission and the astronauts aboard the Orion capsule.
