Free Friday And Onsite Astro Live: Astronomy Night

Free Fridays are back! The Intrepid Museum is once again extending its hours free of charge on Friday, September 27 from 5:00pm-9:00pm. Don’t miss special programming during Free Fridays, including Astronomy Night, part of the Astro Live Series.

Astronomy Nights are FREE and feature fun-filled and educational experiences for the whole family, including talks from astronauts, engineers, and scientists and activities & demos led by Museum educators. Local astronomers will be on hand with their high-powered telescopes to help visitors navigate the night sky and answer questions about astronomy and stargazing. Guests are welcome to bring their own binoculars or look through the telescopes of the experts.

This month, hear from former NASA astronaut and author Tom Jones who will discuss his latest book Space Shuttle Stories: Firsthand Astronaut Accounts from All 135 Missions while in conversation with former NASA astronauts Mike Massimino and Sidney M. Gutierrez. Experience all 135 shuttle missions through firsthand accounts from astronauts who flew them in the book, and hear a few from these actual astronauts as well!

Please note: A limited number of books will be available to purchase onsite, however visitors are strongly encouraged to purchase in advance. You can also purchase from our website (please allow for shipping time)

The talk will take place in the Intrepid Museum's Space Shuttle Pavilion. Livestreaming of the conversation will be available if you can't make it in person to the Intrepid Museum. View the live event on Facebook or YouTube.

* American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be available for the demonstration, featured speaker, telescope viewing on the flight deck, and some of the educator cart.

* Spanish language services will be available during the event, including interpretation for all presentations, activities, and discussions.

Doors will open promptly at 5:00pm, Last entry to the Museum is at 8:30 pm (doors are subject to close earlier, entry is not guaranteed). All visitors must enter through the Welcome Center to receive a free ticket prior to entering the Museum.

PARTICIPANTS:

Tom Jones is a veteran astronaut, planetary scientist, pilot, author, and speaker who completed four space shuttle missions and three spacewalks in helping build the International Space Station. Jones has authored six books, including Sky Walking: An Astronaut's Memoir, and has written for aerospace magazines such as Air & Space Smithsonian, Aerospace America, Popular Mechanics, and The Planetary Report. A senior research scientist for IHMC, he appears regularly on television news as an expert commentator for space exploration and science stories.

Sidney M. Gutierrez is currently the Chairman of Vaya Space, a rocket company dedicated to changing the way we access space and making the benefits of space available to all mankind. Previously he served in various leadership capacities at Sandia National Laboratories where he led programs including satellites and space payloads

Colonel Gutierrez is retired from the US Air Force where he served as a fighter pilot and test pilot before being selected as an Astronaut by NASA. He was the Pilot of the Columbia on STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences and Commander of the Shuttle Endeavour on STS-59 Space Radar Laboratory.

He holds a BS in Aeronautical Engineering – Distinguished Graduate - from the United States Air Force Academy and an MA in Management from Webster University. He is on the Board of Directors of PNM Resources - an electric utility. He served on NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel and the International Space Station Management and Cost Evaluation Presidential Taskforce reporting to President Bush. His awards include the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Legion of Merit, and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal.

Mike Massimino is a New York Times bestselling author who served as a NASA Astronaut from 1996 to 2014. He is a four-time spacewalker who completed two missions to the Hubble Space Telescope, including the final Hubble servicing mission which has been called the most dangerous and complex mission in space shuttle history. Mike set a team record with his crewmates for the most cumulative spacewalking time in a single space shuttle mission, and he was also the first person to tweet from space. Mike received his BS from Columbia University and his PhD from MIT. He currently lives in New York City where he is a professor at Columbia, Senior Space Advisor at the Intrepid Museum, an expert television commentator, and an in-demand keynote speaker. He also had a recurring role as himself on The Big Bang Theory television series.

Registration info: Free with advance registration. Register here.