NASA mobile exhibit trailer brings moon rock to Abilene
The NASA Mobile Exhibit Trailer made a stop in Key City, bringing a piece of space history with it. The traveling exhibit showcases a moon rock that visitors can touch. The rock is at least 3.75 billion years old and was retrieved from the Sea of Serenity on December 11, 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission.
Visitors could touch the moon rocks, participate in space education, and explore other NASA space exhibits.
Steven Smith, a Communication Strategist contracted by NASA, discussed the moon rock.
'I will go ahead and say, look, it doesn't look like you think it's going to look. It's very smooth and flat. And this is one of the few opportunities that people will ever get to touch a moon rock,' Smith said.
Abilene Independent School District students who took part were doing more than just a day of learning. This trip to the planetarium offers high school juniors the opportunity to participate in the Texas High School Aerospace Scholars Program, where they can work directly with NASA throughout the school year.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TechCrunch
6 minutes ago
- TechCrunch
Rocket Lab's first hurdle to flying its new rocket is getting it to the pad
Rocket Lab has asked regulators for permission to transport oversized Neutron rocket structures through shallow waters to a spaceport off the coast of Virginia as it races to meet a September delivery deadline. The request, which was made in July, is a temporary stop gap while the company awaits federal clearance to dredge a permanent channel to the Wallops Island site. Rocket Lab plans to launch its Neutron medium-lift rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia, a lower-traffic spaceport that's surrounded by shallow channels and waterways. The company currently launches its Electron small rocket from this location. Rocket Lab has a sizable checklist to tick-off before Neutron can make its orbital debut, like mating the rocket stages, performing a 'wet dress' rehearsal, and getting its launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration. Before any of that can happen, the rocket hardware needs to make it onto the island. Rocket Lab submitted an application for the dredging project to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in March. In its application, the company touted the benefits of MARS, noting other launch facilities in Florida and elsewhere are highly congested, which could limit launch cadence. MARS, in contrast, 'will allow both frequent launch cadence and the return-to-Earth capability of recovering boosters,' Rocket Lab said at the time. Despite that upside, MARS is constrained in a crucial way: existing maritime infrastructure is limited, and access to the channel – called Sloop Gut – depends on favorable tides. As Rocket Lab and its co-applicant, Virginia Port Authority, notes in its request, 'there is no permanent existing means of providing safe and reliable access for large infrastructure deliveries to Wallops Island.' (Electron is substantially smaller and delivered via road.) Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW Rocket Lab has poured millions into the MARS site to ensure it's ready to support regular Neutron launches. The company is planning to spend more than $5 million to dredge the roughly mile-long Sloop Gut, so barges can perform regular deliveries of large Neutron rocket components. Rocket lab's plans to dredge sloop gut The dredging project was approved by VMRC in May, but the company has yet to start digging because it's still awaiting federal sign-off from the Army Corps of Engineers. As the company waits for federal approval, Rocket Lab and VPA are seeking permission to use a temporary method called 'kedging' to ensure the first five hardware deliveries can arrive on schedule starting in September. The company has said it plans to launch Neutron's maiden test mission in the second half of 2025. But the dredging application and Rocket Lab's separate kedging request suggest that it's not hardware delays, but maritime access that could be a bottleneck for the first launch. Kedging, a little-known nautical method, is used to ensure the barges can safely navigate the existing shallow channel. Workers would use a series of anchors and lines to steer the barge through the shallow waters. The company is seeking permission to use this method through the end of June 2026 or until the dredging work is complete, whichever comes first. It's unclear how long the dredging project will take. In the case that the kedging request is not approved in a timely manner, Rocket Lab said in its application that it would be able to transport structures over the beach using ramps and cranes. The company received permission for up to three beach barge landing test events – but these cannot take place between March 15 and August 31, so it is far from a long-term solution. In the dredging application, the company detailed several other alternative methods to get hardware on the island, like transporting it by road or public boat ramp. However, these methods were ultimately deemed infeasible for reasons such as cost, infrastructure limitations, and the weather. Rocket Lab did not respond to TechCrunch's request for comment. Both filings highlight the importance of maritime access for Rocket Lab's Virginia ambitions. The sooner the company can start dropping kedge anchors in time to receive the hardware shipments, the sooner it can start knocking off the rest of its pre-flight checklist.
Fox News
7 minutes ago
- Fox News
Woman who exposed tech CEO's alleged affair at Coldplay concert stands by posting viral video
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! The Coldplay concertgoer who posted a viral video of a CEO allegedly cozying up with his head of human resources on the band's "Kiss Cam" this week, says a part of her "feels bad" for posting the awkward moment but thinks the couple's actions were their own responsibility. "I had no idea who the couple was," Grace Springer told The U.S. Sun Friday. "Just thought I caught an interesting reaction to the kiss cam and decided to post it. "A part of me feels bad for turning these people's lives upside down, but, play stupid games … win stupid prizes." Andy Byron, CEO of tech firm Astronomer, is now under formal investigation by the company's board after he was allegedly caught with his arms around the company's HR chief, Kristin Cabot, at a Coldplay concert Wednesday night. COLDPLAY KISS CAM TRIGGERS 'FORMAL INVESTIGATION' INTO ASTRONOMER CEO ANDY BYRON AND HR HEAD KRISTIN CABOT The couple quickly stopped their embrace and attempted to hide their faces when they were shown on the concert's jumbotron. Springer filmed the odd moment on her phone and later posted it online. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin joked after the pair separated that they were "either having an affair or just very shy." The company put out a statement after the incident Friday, writing on social media, "Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding. Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability," the company shared. "The Board of Directors has initiated a formal investigation into this matter, and we will have additional details to share very shortly." Later Friday, Astronomer said Byron had been placed on leave. "Cofounder and Chief Product Officer Pete DeJoy is currently serving as interim CEO given Andy Byron has been placed on leave. We will share more details as appropriate in the coming days," Astronomer wrote on social media. BILLY JOEL ADMITS AFFAIR MADE HIM FEEL 'LIKE A HOMEWRECKER,' SAYS HE DESERVED BEING 'PUNCHED IN THE NOSE' Fox News confirmed Cabot and her ex-husband filed for divorce in 2018, and court documents appear to show their divorce was finalized in 2022. According to New Hampshire property records, Kristin and Andrew Cabot purchased a home as a married couple in April 2024. No divorce records have been found for Byron, who appears to still be married. "I hope their partners can heal from this and get a second chance at the happiness they deserve with their future still in front of them," Springer told the Sun. "I hope, for them, my video was a blessing in disguise." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP She said the moment was a "hot topic" with people after the concert, "but no one knew who they were" until she posted the video. "When I posted late last night before bed, it was picking up traction with a couple thousand views," she said. "I woke up to 7 million. Now over 30 million. Overwhelmed to say the least."
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Blocks all stacked for NASA's future Artemis tower at KSC
There's still more than a year's worth of work to do on NASA's future Artemis launch tower at Kennedy Space Center, but all of the big pieces have been put in place. The last of seven modular steel blocks that make up the bulk of the tower's height was put into place on July 2 by the tower's contractor Bechtel. The block called Mod 10 brings it to 377 feet tall from the base structure. 'This achievement underscores our ongoing partnership with NASA and local unions, and the team's steady progress toward safe delivery of this critical infrastructure,' the company said in an emailed statement. Progress has been tracked on the company's website with the latest addition dubbed 'Reaching the Top.' Mod 4 was the first of the seven blocks put in place on Jan. 3, growing the structure 272 feet in less than six months. Mod 10 will support the Crew Access Arm for ML-2, which is among the parts that have yet to be assembled before the company's deadline of November 2026 for delivery to NASA. ML-2 is designed for use on a larger version of NASA's Space Launch System rocket, which won't fly until at least the Artemis IV mission on NASA's roadmap in late 2028. The first three Artemis missions have or will use the ML-1, which was converted from use from NASA's defunct Constellation program. Artemis I was the first launch of SLS, an uncrewed test flight that sent Orion out to the moon and back. Artemis II will be the first crewed flight of Orion, looking to send four astronauts on a trip around the moon without landing no later than April 2026. Artemis III looks to return humans to the moon for the first time since the end of the Apollo program in 1972. That mission, which is reliant on the completion of SpaceX's in-development Starship as a human landing system as well as new spacesuits from Axiom Space, is targeting launch by summer 2027. Whether or not ML-2 would ever be used was in question as President Donald Trump's proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 sought to end the SLS rocket program as well as the Orion spacecraft, Gateway lunar space station and NASA's Exploration Ground Systems team based at KSC after the flight of Artemis III. But Congress, led by an effort from Sen. Ted Cruz, was able add more than $10 billion in this year's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' to save SLS for both the fourth and fifth launches of Artemis as well as set aside money for Orion and Gateway. Both versions of the Senate and House budget bills for 2026, moreover, look to keep funding for Artemis' existing programs in place. Congress is the ultimate decider of what the federal budget will look like, although without an agreement, it's possible NASA will simply continue with funding based on current levels with continuing resolutions. Still, with funds already set aside, work continued in earnest to get ML-2 ready for the fourth Artemis flight. It's supposed to fly the first part of the Gateway station, and would use the larger version of SLS called the Block 1B that has more payload capacity. It too would feature a rendezvous and moon landing with Starship. The Artemis V mission is supposed to be the first flight to use Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander instead of Starship. NASA will still need to perform about a year's worth of tests and added work after Bechtel hands it off in 2026. The ML2 project, which was initially a $383 million contract awarded in 2019, had an original delivery date of 2023. A NASA Office of Inspector General audit released in August 2024 said the costs had already nearly tripled to more than $1 billion with the delivery date pushed into late 2026. It's part of the growing costs and delays associated with all facets of the Artemis program. In 2023, the OIG said by the time Artemis III flies, the program will have topped $93 billion in costs since it was originally announced in 2012. --------------
