Terre Haute Children's Museum hosts 'Blast Off to the ISS!' on April 5
The Terre Haute Children's Museum is launching an out-of-this-world experience for young space enthusiasts with Blast Off to the ISS! on Saturday, April 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This event will give children and families the opportunity to explore the wonders of space through interactive experiments with materials testing for conductivity and hands-on activities with radio waves, as the museum prepares the community to connect with astronauts aboard the International Space Station at a future event.
Admission to Blast Off to the ISS! is free for museum members and included with a $9 admission purchase for all others.
Late in 2024, THCM submitted a proposal — in collaboration with the Wabash Valley Amateur Radio Association, Gibson Allen Memorial Planetarium/Vigo County School Corporation, and Joink — to be selected as a 2025 ARISS location.
This event is a prelude to the museum's direct contact with an astronaut on the International Space Station later this year. By participating in this program and others offered by the Museum, children will gain knowledge to let them craft unique and intriguing questions for an astronaut working and living on the ISS. Submitted questions will be reviewed by a panel of educators at the Museum and the schools who will choose the final list of 20 questions.
The child who submits one of the final questions will be invited to read the question during our contact with the ISS astronaut on a date between July and December of this year.
For more information, visit thchildrensmuseum.com/events, contact Laurel Tincher at (812) 235-5548 ext 227 or programs@thchildrensmuseum.com. More information on the ARISS program can be found at www.ariss.org. More information on amateur radio can be found at www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Private astronaut mission marks next step toward a new space station
NASA is planning on decommissioning the International Space Station (ISS) by the end of 2030. But before that happens, Axiom Space, a privately funded space infrastructure company based in Houston, wants to build a replacement. The company has begun construction of the world's first commercial space station, Axiom Station. But Axiom isn't waiting for their station to be completed before transporting people into space. The company has been launching teams of private astronauts to the ISS since 2022, allowing them to conduct research, train, and participate in scientific activities. And on Wednesday at 8 a.m., Axiom Space will attempt to send its fourth crew to the ISS as part of its AX-4 mission. "The AX-4 crew represents the very best of international collaboration, dedication, and human potential. Over the past 10 months, these astronauts have trained with focus and determination, each of them exceeding the required thresholds to ensure mission safety, scientific rigor and operational excellence," said Allen Flynt, Axiom Space's chief of mission services, during a pre-launch press conference on Monday. The four-person crew will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and travel to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket. It will be the maiden mission for an updated Dragon capsule. MORE: A private company wants to build a city on the moon. But it has to land a probe first "This is the first flight for this Dragon capsule, and it's carrying an international crew—a perfect debut. We've upgraded storage, propulsion components and the seat lash design for improved reliability and reuse," said William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX's vice president of build and flight reliability. The mission will be led by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and the director of human spaceflight at Axiom. During her career at NASA, Whitson completed three long-duration space flights, spending a total of 665 days in orbit. She also commanded Axiom's AX-2 mission, adding another 10 days in space to her already impressive total. Whitson now holds the record for the most time spent in space by a woman. "We're thrilled to welcome Peggy Whitson back. This will be her fifth trip to space—three with NASA and now two with Axiom," Dana Weigel, NASA's manager of the International Space Station Program, said. "She's made substantial contributions to ISS and now helps lay the foundation for future commercial missions." Joining Whitson on the AX-4 mission are astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary. This will be the first time that nationally sponsored astronauts from those countries have visited the ISS. It has also been more than 40 years since those three countries sent someone into space. MORE: New Biomass satellite will provide an unprecedented look at the planet's forests Indian Air Force pilot and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, the mission's pilot, will be the second person from India to go to space and the first since 1984. Polish engineer Sławosz Uznański, a mission specialist and a European Space Agency project astronaut, will be the second person from his country to head to space and the first since 1978. And Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer and mission specialist, will be the second Hungarian astronaut to rocket into space. That country's last space mission was 45 years ago. "For India, Poland, and Hungary, this mission marks a return to human spaceflight after more than 40 years, and their first missions to the ISS. It's a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we work together across borders, disciplines, and cultures," Flynt said. The AX-4 mission will last up to 14 days, during which the crew will conduct about 60 scientific studies and experiments. The company said 31 countries have contributed to the research plan and that the projects will focus on biological, life and material sciences, as well as Earth observation. Axiom said that the work done at the station will help the company advance its goal of building Axiom Station, which would be the world's first commercial space station. To lay the foundation for its space station, Axiom plans to attach several of its commercial modules to the ISS while it's still operational. When the ISS is decommissioned, those modules will detach from the station and become part of the privately run Axiom Station. Unlike space tourism, which is operated independently of NASA and government support, the Axiom mission is part of NASA's private astronaut mission program. This private-public partnership provides selected commercial space companies with access to the ISS and technical and logistical support from NASA. "NASA's framework for private astronaut missions gives industry responsibility for launch, free flight, and landing," Weigel said. "It's an incredible time for spaceflight. These missions help train teams, build partnerships and shape the future of low Earth orbit," she added.
an hour ago
Private astronaut mission marks next step toward a new space station
NASA is planning on decommissioning the International Space Station (ISS) by the end of 2030. But before that happens, Axiom Space, a privately funded space infrastructure company based in Houston, wants to build a replacement. The company has begun construction of the world's first commercial space station, Axiom Station. But Axiom isn't waiting for their station to be completed before transporting people into space. The company has been launching teams of private astronauts to the ISS since 2022, allowing them to conduct research, train, and participate in scientific activities. And on Wednesday at 8 a.m., Axiom Space will attempt to send its fourth crew to the ISS as part of its AX-4 mission. "The AX-4 crew represents the very best of international collaboration, dedication, and human potential. Over the past 10 months, these astronauts have trained with focus and determination, each of them exceeding the required thresholds to ensure mission safety, scientific rigor and operational excellence," said Allen Flynt, Axiom Space's chief of mission services, during a pre-launch press conference on Monday. The four-person crew will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and travel to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft launched into orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket. It will be the maiden mission for an updated Dragon capsule. "This is the first flight for this Dragon capsule, and it's carrying an international crew—a perfect debut. We've upgraded storage, propulsion components and the seat lash design for improved reliability and reuse," said William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX's vice president of build and flight reliability. The mission will be led by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and the director of human spaceflight at Axiom. During her career at NASA, Whitson completed three long-duration space flights, spending a total of 665 days in orbit. She also commanded Axiom's AX-2 mission, adding another 10 days in space to her already impressive total. Whitson now holds the record for the most time spent in space by a woman. "We're thrilled to welcome Peggy Whitson back. This will be her fifth trip to space—three with NASA and now two with Axiom," Dana Weigel, NASA's manager of the International Space Station Program, said. "She's made substantial contributions to ISS and now helps lay the foundation for future commercial missions." Joining Whitson on the AX-4 mission are astronauts from India, Poland and Hungary. This will be the first time that nationally sponsored astronauts from those countries have visited the ISS. It has also been more than 40 years since those three countries sent someone into space. Indian Air Force pilot and astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, the mission's pilot, will be the second person from India to go to space and the first since 1984. Polish engineer Sławosz Uznański, a mission specialist and a European Space Agency project astronaut, will be the second person from his country to head to space and the first since 1978. And Tibor Kapu, a mechanical engineer and mission specialist, will be the second Hungarian astronaut to rocket into space. That country's last space mission was 45 years ago. "For India, Poland, and Hungary, this mission marks a return to human spaceflight after more than 40 years, and their first missions to the ISS. It's a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we work together across borders, disciplines, and cultures," Flynt said. The AX-4 mission will last up to 14 days, during which the crew will conduct about 60 scientific studies and experiments. The company said 31 countries have contributed to the research plan and that the projects will focus on biological, life and material sciences, as well as Earth observation. Axiom said that the work done at the station will help the company advance its goal of building Axiom Station, which would be the world's first commercial space station. To lay the foundation for its space station, Axiom plans to attach several of its commercial modules to the ISS while it's still operational. When the ISS is decommissioned, those modules will detach from the station and become part of the privately run Axiom Station. Unlike space tourism, which is operated independently of NASA and government support, the Axiom mission is part of NASA's private astronaut mission program. This private-public partnership provides selected commercial space companies with access to the ISS and technical and logistical support from NASA. "NASA's framework for private astronaut missions gives industry responsibility for launch, free flight, and landing," Weigel said. "It's an incredible time for spaceflight. These missions help train teams, build partnerships and shape the future of low Earth orbit," she added.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
What the Trump-Musk Feud Means for SpaceX and NASA
Musk and Trump before the feud, at the test launch of a Starship rocket in Nov. 2024 Credit - Getty Images What happens in Washington decidedly does not stay in Washington, with practically every action taken by the richest and most powerful country in the world having a near-immediate global reaction—on tariffs, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, global health, and more. Sometimes those reactions aren't even confined to the planet—as the recent social-media smackdown between President Donald Trump and former adviser Elon Musk illustrated. On June 5, as the feud between the two erstwhile besties escalated, Trump posted on his Truth Social Platform, 'The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn't do it!' Just over 90 minutes later, in a post on X, Musk clapped back: 'In light of the President's statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.' Not long after that post went wide, Musk quietly deleted it. Later that evening, an X user posted to Trump and Musk, 'This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days.' Minutes later, Musk responded, 'Good advice. OK, we won't decommission Dragon.' Read more: The Musk-Trump Implosion Can Be Seen From Space That defused the immediate emergency, but the threat and counterthreat raised questions about just how dependent America's space efforts are on the whims of two sometimes mercurial billionaires. Could a mere word from Musk ground the nation? Could a stroke of a Trump Sharpie similarly hobble SpaceX? The short answer in both cases is maybe, but not likely. There's no overstating just how central SpaceX has become in the space sector in the 23 years since it was founded as the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation. Since the inaugural flight of the company's Falcon 9 in 2010, the rocket has become the world's workhorse vehicle for rides to orbit, with 485 completed missions, including 440 acrobatic landings of its reusable first stage. The rocket and its Dragon spacecraft provide regular service to the International Space Station (ISS), carrying crews up and down, and ferrying cargo and supplies aboard uncrewed Dragons. In 2024, the company's larger Falcon Heavy launched NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft to Jupiter's moon Europa. It is set to launch the ambitious Nancy Grace Roman Telescope in May 2027. The working relationship between SpaceX and the government is by no means limited to NASA. In April, as Ars Technica reports, the U.S. Space Force awarded the company a $5.9 billion contract, making SpaceX the leading provider of launch services for Pentagon satellites. The military is also a major customer of SpaceX's Starlink satellite constellation, with 50 military commands now using the orbiting Internet service, according to Defense News. 'We have $22 billion in government contracts,' said Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president and COO, in a live streamed public panel last year. 'We earned that. We bid it, we were the lowest price, best bidder, we won and we execute.' If anything, the company is going to have the opportunity to execute still more, reinforcing the ties between SpaceX and the government. In 2021, NASA selected SpaceX's still-in-development Starship rocket to serve as the lander that is planned to carry American astronauts down from lunar orbit to the surface of the moon sometime before the end of the decade. In 2024, the space agency tapped SpaceX to build the vehicle that will nudge the ISS out of orbit when the program ends in 2030. And in May, Trump's so-called skinny budget called for NASA to cancel its over-budget and behind-schedule Space Launch System, the 21st century answer to the 1960s' Saturn V moon rocket, leaving Starship as the likeliest successor. Meantime, while Boeing's Starliner spacecraft was supposed to be joining Dragon in providing rides to the ISS—taking a share of the launch business revenue from SpaceX—Starliner famously failed in its inaugural flight last year. This left astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams stranded aboard the station for 8 months, on a mission that was supposed to last merely eight days. Similarly, Blue Origin, the rocket company founded by Musk's fellow mega-billionaire Jeff Bezos, was expected to provide some launch-service competition for SpaceX, but the company has managed just one, only partially successful orbital launch of its New Glenn rocket, in January 2025, and has limited most of its activity to flying popgun suborbital missions for wealthy space tourists. 'It's not a planned monopoly,' said Shotwell in the live stream. 'If our competitors could get it together…' All of this leaves SpaceX and the government mutually interdependent, with Washington counting on the company to provide services no one else currently can, and the company happy for the paying work. That's not to say neither one could foul the joint nest. Trump's nomination of private astronaut and Musk friend Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator was widely seen as a sign of Musk's influence on the president—and Trump's decision on May 31 to pull the nomination was similarly seen as the first sign of the rift between Musk and Trump. But the president has made no other moves against Musk-world, and Musk's decision to delete his provocative post on X may have cooled tempers on both sides. SpaceX investors and other customers may serve as a brake on Musk's worst tendencies, and lawmakers from space-heavy states including California, Texas, and Florida may similarly restrain Trump. None of this says that neither man is beyond acting against his own—and his government's or his company's—best interests. The scorpion in the venerable fable famously stung the frog that was its only ride across the river—explaining before they both sank and drowned that 'it's in my nature.' Trump's and Musk's natures have always been impulsive. The space and defense sectors can only hope the two men show some restraint now. Write to Jeffrey Kluger at
