Space Foundation News


Learn How to Train Like an Astronaut at the Discovery Center on Oct. 9

Written by: developer

Oct. 9 is “To Be an Astronaut Day” at the Space Foundation Discovery Center in Colorado Springs, part of our World Space Week celebration Oct. 4-10.

The Space Foundation is bringing former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao, Ph.D., to the Discovery Center on Thursday, Oct. 9, to share his experiences as a Space Shuttle astronaut and resident of the International Space Station (ISS).

The public will have two opportunities to meet Chiao for autographs and photos for this World Space Week event on Oct. 9:

  • 2:00 – 3:00 p.m., autographs and photos with Dr. Chiao
  • 5:00 – 6:00 p.m., Dr. Chiao Science On a Sphere® presentation, autographs and photos

These Oct. 9 activities are part of the Space Foundation’s World Space Week celebration and are included in the price of Discovery Center admission:

  • 1:00 – 5:00 p.m., ongoing presentations and hands-on activities in the Discovery Center to demonstrate what astronauts in training experience
  • 3:30 – 4:30 p.m., the premiere of the Science On a Sphere® film A Pale Blue Dot, with a live Google Hangouts interview with the film’s producer Victoria Weeks
  • 6:00 – 7:00 p.m., documentary I want to be an Astronaut, which examines the current state of America’s space program and a boy’s quest to become an astronaut. The presentation will include Q&A with the film’s Rich Evans, via Google Hangouts.

About the Space Foundation Discovery Center
The Space Foundation Discovery Center is the Pikes Peak region’s only space, science and technology attraction, and is located at 4425 Arrowswest Drive in Colorado Springs, just off of Garden of the Gods Road. The Discovery Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Discovery Center daily admission fees are $10 for adults, $7.50 for seniors (age 65+), $7.50 for college students with I.D., $4.50 for children ages 4-17. Children age three years and younger are admitted free. Military fees are $5.00 for adults with I.D., and $4.00 for military children ages 4-17 with I.D. Military includes active duty, guard, reserve or retiree with I.D. For information, call the Space Foundation at 719.576.8000.

About Leroy Chiao, Ph.D.
Based in Houston, Chiao is the Space Foundation’s special advisor – human spaceflight. His Space Shuttle missions include: STS-92 Discovery, Oct. 11-24, 2000; STS-72 Endeavour, Jan. 11-20, 1996; STS-65 Columbia, July 8-23, 1994. In addition, he flew as flight engineer 1 aboard Soyuz TMA-5 to the ISS, where he served as commander and NASA science officer for Expedition 10. He lived on the ISS for six and half months. He earned a doctoral degree in chemical engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara.


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