On the morning of Thursday, December 4, NASA will conduct the first test flight of the Orion spacecraft, the vessel that will potentially take humans to Mars and beyond.

Orion will travel 15 times higher above the Earth than the International Space Station, pass through dangerous radiation in the Van Allen Belt, and then speed back to Earth, experiencing temperatures almost twice as hot as molten lava!

The Fleet is excited to host this very special viewing party event to watch history in the making.

Our FREE morning event will feature:

•           Live coverage from NASA, projected onto the Giant Dome Theater screen
•           Your burning space questions answered by our resident astronomer, Dr. Lisa Will
•           Fun educational demonstrations by Fleet Educator Jamie Fryrear
•           Lots of cool Orion giveaways
•           Galileo’s Café open early for your coffee, juice and pastry purchases

At 8:30 a.m., Orion will land in the Pacific Ocean and then be recovered by one of San Diego’s own Navy vessels. Guests are invited to see the splashdown live!

The event begins at 7 a.m. This event is free, but space is limited. All guests must register in advance.

After the event, the science center will open early for visitors to catch ILLUSION: Nothing Is As it Seems and Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code, both in their final weeks.

We invite the media to come enjoy this event with us. Interviews with Fleet resident astronomer, Dr. Lisa Will, and Fleet Executive Director, Steve Snyder, can be scheduled by appointment. Media will also have the opportunity to interview kids and families in attendance.

To schedule an interview or media appearance, please contact Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Public Relations Manager Nathan Young at 619-685-5743 or nyoung@rhfleet.org.

WHEN:            Thursday, December 4, from 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

WHERE:        

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center
1875 El Prado in Balboa Park
www.rhfleet.org

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MORE INFO:

Link to the event on the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center website:

http://www.rhfleet.org/events/orion-splashdown-bash

Seven-minute video with more details on the Orion launch event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyZqSWWKmHQ