Fifteen years ago, the world was rocked when disaster befell the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia. After 27 missions, the Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry on February 1, 2003, killing all seven crew members. The entire Shuttle fleet was grounded for more than two years while teams of experts worked to make sure more safety procedures were in place for future flights. To this day, researchers continue to study the Columbia as they strive to understand the actions and reactions of objects and materials subjected to the rigors of space travel.
On Friday, February 2, join Museum Executive Director Christopher Orwoll as he talks about what researchers have discovered and how it impacts the future of space exploration during the free Launch Pad Lecture titled Space Shuttle Columbia: Her Mission Continues.
The Launch Pad Lecture is free to the public and is held at 9 a.m. on the Museum's first floor on the first Friday of each month. Coffee and donuts are compliments of the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation. The next Launch Pad Lecture will be on March 2, 2018, and the topic will be We’re Gonna Do What? Bizarre Rescues in Space with Museum Executive Director Christopher Orwoll.
The Launch Pad Lectures are streamed live on Periscope and are available on the museum’s YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2SirhgX3NsxcREfOVLjHeA.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575-437-2840 or toll free 1-877-333-6589 or visit the website at www.nmspacemuseum.org. Like us at:www.facebook.com/NMSpaceMuseum/