Staff Report June 19, 2019Events, LifestyleComments Off on NM Museum of Space hosts free ‘Into the Vault’ presentation Saturday
Every museum has a place where things are collected and stored, and at the New Mexico Museum of Space History that place is the Hubbard Collections, Library and Archives Building.
Typically, that building is only open to researchers by appointment, but on Saturday June 22, it will be host to the free quarterly Into the Vault presentation. Although a tour of the facility was given in 2018, many new items have been added to the collection and the library has undergone significant changes since then.
New acquisitions of objects from the Russian Space program, the Apollo program, space pop culture and more will be on view. The program starts at 9:00 am and free coffee and donuts are provided.
Join Museum Curator Sue Taylor and Assistant Curator Jim Mayberry as they take visitors behind the scenes to see what has been added, what has changed and how you can utilize this great resource on space history.
The next Into the Vault presentation will be Saturday, September 28.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575-437-2840 or toll free 1-877-333-6589, visit the website. Visitors can also ‘Like’ their Facebook page.
Staff Report September 2, 2018LifestyleComments Off on NM Museum of Space History To Host ‘Taking the Plunge: The Galileo Mission’ on Friday
Before it took a fiery dive into Jupiter’s atmosphere, the Galileo spacecraft sent back pictures and data that rewrote our understanding of the largest planet in the solar system and its gaggle of moons (including a few that might harbor life).
On Friday, September 7, Museum Education Director Dave Dooling will host the monthly Launch Pad Lecture, as he looks at how we have explored the biggest of the Gas Giants, and shares a peek at what’s next.
The Launch Pad Lecture is free to the public and is held at 9 a.m. on the Museum’s first floor on the first Friday of each month. Coffee and donuts are compliments of the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation.
The Launch Pad Lectures are streamed live on Periscope and are available after the lecture on the museum’s YouTube channel.
The next Launch Pad Lecture will be on October 5, 2018, and the topic will be Live from Outer Space: The Flight of Apollo 7 with Museum Executive Director Chris Orwoll.
The Tularosa Basin is known for its natural beauty, the white sands of gypsum and the space program. Wait a minute – the space program? To find out more about how the white sands and rockets go together, the public is invited to the Warehouse 1402 program Space and the Tularosa Basin.
On Saturday, March 24th, Curator Sue Taylor and Assistant Curator Jim Mayberry share stories of the early space program that took place in Alamogordo. The program will start on the first floor of the museum, where special artifacts from the Manhigh program and the high-speed track will be shown.
Then the program moves outside to the Rocket Park where such artifacts as Little Joe II and the case of the missing Apollo Boilerplate will be discussed. Just when you thought you knew it all, you find out there’s more.
The Warehouse 1402 Behind the Scenes tour will be Saturday, March 24, beginning on the first floor of the museum at 9:00 am. Free coffee and donuts are compliments of the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575-437-2840 or toll free 1-877-333-6589 or visit their website and ‘like’ their Facebook Page.
The Little Joe II rocket is being installed in the John P. Stapp Air and Spark Park at the Museum of Space History in 1976. Learn more about the history of the Little Joe II and other museum artifacts at the free Warehouse 1402 Behind the Scenes Tour on Saturday, March 24, at 9:00 am. (Photo credit: NMMSH)
Staff Report March 16, 2018LifestyleComments Off on New Mexico Museum of Space History’s “Trinity Site Motocoach Tour” set for April 7
Ticket sales for the April 7th Motorcoach Tour to Trinity Site are soaring and, in response, the New Mexico Museum of Space History has secured a third bus for the event.
“We’ve been pleasantly surprised at the response to this April’s tour and it marks the first time we’ve added a third coach,” said Museum Executive Director Chris Orwoll. “Our first two coaches filled up within a very short period of time and there are a limited number of seats remaining in the third. I highly encourage anyone wishing to go, to book your seat as soon as soon as possible.” Registration is available on the museum’s website. The deadline for registration is Friday, March 23.
The Museum of Space History hosts a motorcoach tour to the site each April and October as part of a fundraiser for its Foundation. Each coach will have a local historian on board, giving an in-depth talk on the bomb and its story, along with unique insight into local history. Once on site, guests enjoy a brown bag lunch, visit to the McDonald House and go on a walking tour of Trinity Site.
On the way back, there’s a special onboard showing of Trinity: The Atomic Bomb Movie. Once back in Alamogordo, guests will be treated to a guided tour of the Space Museum to wind up the day.
Trinity Site is open to the public twice each year, on the first Saturday in April and again on the first Saturday in October. White Sands Missile Range hosts the annual events because this national historic site is on the north end of the normally highly restricted range. Special interpretation at the site is provided by Missile Range staff.
All visitors must have government issued photo identification, such as a driver’s license or passport.
Limited advance tickets are on sale now through the museum’s marketing department or online, and include the round trip to Trinity Site, guided tour, brownbag lunch, and guided tour of the museum. The ticket price is $75 per person, or $65 for museum members.
To reserve tickets or for more information, call 575-437-2840 ext. 41132 or visit the website.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575-437-2840 or toll free 1-877-333-6589 or visit the website or Like their facebook page.
Staff Report February 13, 2018NewsComments Off on NASA Chooses Alamogordo to Host NM’s First K-12 Space Station Downlink
Alamogordo students are getting a once in a lifetime opportunity to talk with astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) on February 21.
NASA selected the New Mexico Museum of Space History, in conjunction with the Alamogordo School District and the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, to host a downlink from the ISS. The museum was one of 14 organizations nationwide chosen to participate in the program for Expedition 54 as part of the “Year of Education on Station.”
This event marks the first time that a K-12 school in New Mexico has participated in the in-flight downlink program.
NASA’s in-flight education downlinks give students the opportunity to learn first-hand from space explorers what it is like to live and work in space. NASA’s Johnson Space Center Office of Education facilitates the events. Downlinks are designed to enhance student learning, performance and interest in STEM.
“This is a unique opportunity for students in our area and we are very proud that the museum and our local schools are able to lead the way for our state,” said Museum Executive Director Christopher Orwoll. “Talking with astronauts onboard a spacecraft was once reserved for an astronaut on the ground, the Capsule Communicator or CAPCOM. Now, through NASA’s ISS Downlink program, our students get to ask questions of the crew and see them living and working in space. ”
The Alamogordo Downlink project involves students from Alamogordo High School, Academy del Sol, Chaparral, Mountain View, and Holloman Middle Schools, and the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
There will be a total of six teams, one from each school. Team members were chosen by each school’s principal and science teachers.
“It is so exciting for APS to be the first K-12 school district in the state to be part of this wonderful endeavor. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our students to interact with astronauts onboard the International Space Station – something that we hope inspires them for a lifetime,” said APS Superintendent Adrianne Salas. “We want to thank the Education Department at the New Mexico Museum of Space History for bringing this program to us, especially Dave Dooling and the museum staff,” she added.
During a twenty minute window, spokesmen from each team will take turns asking questions of Astronaut Joe Acaba—a former high school science teacher—Scott Tingle, and Mark Vande Hei. NASA requires that each Downlink proposal include an education and outreach component to give students background for their questions.
In May of 2017 when submitting his plan to NASA, Museum of Space History Education Director Dave Dooling proposed something a little different – a challenge that would have student teams designing and building a small payload based around the effect of zero G on fluids.
His proposal to NASA was accepted in May and he’s been coordinating with the schools ever since.
“We developed design guidelines for a package about the same size as an experiment drawer on a space station experiment rack,” said Dooling. “We provided base plates built from pegboard and a frame of PVC tubing, and told them to be imaginative with things like water bottles, cameras, even seltzer tablets. And we are providing guidance as the students design and test their payloads.”
Local pilot Mike Haymes has donated his time and aircraft to take the experiments aloft, where Dooling will use free fall as a laboratory to carry out the team experiments. The test flights will take place in late January and early February. The students will analyze the results and present their findings as part of the Downlink event.
The Alamogordo Downlink project will be held at Alamogordo High School’s Tiger Pit on Wednesday, February 21 from 9:00 – 11:00 am. More than 1200 students are expected to assemble at the Pit to watch. Seating there will be reserved for students and teachers. Parents and the general public are invited to the Flickinger Center, 1110 North New York Avenue, to watch the Downlink project live on NASA’s website. A space museum educator will be on hand to talk about the project.
The viewing will be free to parents and the public. Seating will be on a first come, first served basis.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575-437-2840 or toll free 1-877-333-6589 or visit the website or Like the Facebook Page.
Scott D. Tingle was selected by NASA in 2009. Raised in Randolph, Massachusetts, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Southeastern Massachusetts University, and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Following graduate school, Captain Tingle spent three years with the Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, California, as a member of technical staff in their Propulsion Department; and was commissioned as a naval officer in 1991. He is currently a part of the Expedition 54/55 crew that launched to the International Space Station in December 2017.Mark T. Vande Hei was selected by NASA in 2009. From Falls Church, Virginia, Vande Hei earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Saint John’s University and a Master of Science in Applied Physics from Stanford University. He was commissioned in the U.S. Army through the ROTC program and served as a combat engineer. In 1999, he became an assistant professor of physics at the United States Military Academy in West Point. He is currently a part of the Expedition 53/54 crew that launched to the International Space Station in September 2017.Joseph M. Acaba was selected by NASA in 2004. The California native has logged a total of 138 days in space during two missions. In 2009, Acaba flew aboard STS-119 on the Space Shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station to deliver the final pair of power-generating solar array wings and a truss element. During this mission, he conducted two spacewalks. In 2012, Acaba flew aboard a Soyuz spacecraft to the space station where he worked as Flight Engineer for the Expedition 31/32. During this mission, the first commercial resupply spacecraft, SpaceX Dragon, arrived at the station. Acaba recently served as Director of Operations Russia in Star City supporting crew training in Soyuz and Russian Segment systems. He is currently a part of the Expedition 53/54 crew that launched to the International Space Station in September 2017.
Staff Report January 30, 2018Events, LifestyleComments Off on NM Museum of Space History Features Free Lecture on Shuttle Columbia’s Legacy
Fifteen years ago, the world was rocked when disaster befell the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia. After 27 missions, the Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry on February 1, 2003, killing all seven crew members.
The entire Shuttle fleet was grounded for more than two years while teams of experts worked to make sure more safety procedures were in place for future flights. To this day, researchers continue to study the Columbia as they strive to understand the actions and reactions of objects and materials subjected to the rigors of space travel.
On Friday, February 2, join Museum Executive Director Christopher Orwoll as he talks about what researchers have discovered and how it impacts the future of space exploration during the free Launch Pad Lecture titled Space Shuttle Columbia: Her Mission Continues.
The Launch Pad Lecture is free to the public and is held at 9 a.m. on the Museum’s first floor on the first Friday of each month. Coffee and donuts are compliments of the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation. The next Launch Pad Lecture will be on March 2, 2018, and the topic will be We’re Gonna Do What? Bizarre Rescues in Space with Museum Executive Director Christopher Orwoll.
The Launch Pad Lectures are streamed live on Periscope and are available on the museum’s YouTube channel.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575-437-2840 or toll free 1-877-333-6589 or visit the website or like their facebook page.
Staff Report September 21, 2017LifestyleComments Off on New Mexico Museum of Space History Joins Smithsonian Mag’s 13th Annual Museum Day Live!
The New Mexico Museum of Space History will open its doors free of charge on Saturday September 23, 2017, as part of Smithsonian magazine’s thirteenth annual Museum Day Live!
Museum Day Live! is an initiative in which participating museums across the United States emulate the spirit of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington DC-based facilities, which offer free admission every day, and open their doors for free to those who download a Museum Day Live! ticket.
Smithsonian recognizes the extraordinary power of museums, and other cultural institutions, to provide visitors with insight and inspiration. The event represents a nationwide commitment to boundless curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge wherever you are.
Over 200,000 people downloaded tickets for last year’s event, and this year’s event is expected to attract more museum-goers than ever before.
“Museum Day Live! Gives people from all walks of life the opportunity to visit museums they may have never been to, or haven’t been to in a long time. We hope everyone takes advantage of the day and visits a participating museum,” said Museum Executive Director Chris Orwoll.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, established in 1976, offers a large collection of space related exhibits with a focus on New Mexico’s pivotal role in the U.S. space program. Special features include the International Space Hall of Fame and several interactives like the Rocket Rumbler and Shuttle Simulator.
Outside exhibits include the John P. Stapp Air and Space Park, Daisy Track Exhibit, and Astronaut Memorial Garden.
The Museum Day Live! ticket is available for download HERE. Visitors who present the Museum Day Live! ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues on September 23, 2017.
One ticket per email address is permitted. For more information about Museum Day Live! 2017 and a full list of participating museums and cultural institutions, click HERE.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575-437-2840 or toll free 1-877-333-6589 or visit the website or like their facebook page.
Staff Report August 14, 2017Regional NewsComments Off on NM Museum of Space History Offers Reduced Admission Fees During Carpet Installation
The New Mexico Museum of Space History is offering half price admission for the museum from Monday August 14 through Friday September 1, while new carpeting is being installed on several floors in the building.
“Although our guests will be temporarily inconvenienced by the flooring work, we are very pleased that progress continues to be made in upgrades to our museum, exhibits and grounds. It’s this kind of work that resulted in our visitation increases over the past few years and will continue to make a positive impact on our guests,” said Orwoll.
This phase of carpet installation with complete the new carpeting throughout the museum. In addition to the flooring, sheetrock installation will also be taking place in certain areas of the building.
“We worked very hard with Home Service Contractors and First Street Carpet and Tile to come up with a work schedule that would allow us to remain open, but even with before and after hours work there will still be disruption in the galleries,” said Museum Executive Director Chris Orwoll.
“We’ll have to move exhibit cases and close off sections of galleries as the installation progresses in steps, so we felt like offering half price admission would be a way to help offset the inconvenience for our guests.” Orwoll added that there is a possibility of an early closure when the work makes its way to the ground floor, where the reception area and gift shop is located.
The carpet installation is just one of many planned projects at the museum over the next several months. As sheetrock is installed in strategic locations, gallery redesign will begin on floor 2 B and throughout the rampways, where the International Space Hall of Fame Inductees will be honored.
Graphic design elements and artifact displays will begin being incorporated on to floor 3 B, showcasing the existing satellites and incorporating the story of the global positioning system (GPS). Floor 2A will also undergo changes as the exhibit begins to explore manned spaceflight.
Outside, near the rocket park, a new playground will be installed along with a sunshade and picnic tables. “The playground project was made possible through a large grant from PNM and support from our Foundation. We’re very excited about it and look forward to everyone coming to play on our new rocket climber!” said Orwoll.
An announcement will be made when installation of the playground begins.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575-437-2840 or toll free 1-877-333-6589 or visit the website or Facebook Page.
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