CELEBRATE JOHN GLENN FRIENDSHIP 7 DAY DURING PRESIDENTS DAY WEEKEND AT GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER
Meet NASA astronaut from Northeast Ohio during Space Saturday event

February 11th, 2013

CLEVELAND (February 11, 2013) – Great Lakes Science Center, home of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, is hosting two days of space-themed programs for guests during Presidents Day weekend to commemorate John Glenn Friendship 7 Day, including a presentation from NASA astronaut and Euclid-native Suni Williams and hands-on engineering activities presented by NASA Glenn Research Center employees.

Great Lakes Science Center is commemorating John Glenn Friendship 7 Day on Monday, February 18. The twentieth day of February is designated as John Glenn Friendship 7 Day in honor of John Glenn’s participation in the first orbital space mission of the United States on February 20, 1962.

“As home of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, we find it important to host a variety of aerospace-related programs that educate and inspire young minds,” said Dante Centuori, director of creative productions at Great Lakes Science Center. “On an important weekend like this, we are honored to give guests the opportunity to meet an accomplished astronaut from Northeast Ohio, Suni Williams, and celebrate engineering accomplishments, all in tribute of John Glenn Friendship 7 Day.”

On Saturday, February 16, guests can meet NASA astronaut Suni Williams during a special Space Saturday event.

At 11 am, Suni Williams will give a mission-briefing presentation on her Expedition 32 and 33 missions. She recently returned from a 5-month stay on the International Space Station where she served as commander of Expedition 33. She also served as flight engineer for Expedition 32. Her total time in space is over 321 days, and she holds records for the longest single flight by a woman, most spacewalks by a woman and most spacewalk time by a woman. She was born in Euclid, Ohio.

Following the presentation, from noon to 1 pm, guests will have the opportunity to meet Suni Williams in person and get her autograph.

Also during Space Saturday, Science Center visitors can enjoy hands-on activities presented by the NASA Glenn Research Center employees from noon until 4 pm, including:
• Digital Learning Network Rover – control a robotic rover over the Internet
• NASA Mars Rover landing on Xbox 360 – try to land Curiosity using an Xbox!
• Experiment with light, photonics and “invisible light”
• Hear NASA engineers talk about their work in radio and optical space communication
• Meet Eva, NASA’s larger-than-life astronaut who loves to meet new people!
• Picture Yourself in Space photo booth – get your free picture taken in a space-themed backdrop

On Monday, February 18, guests can enjoy a variety of NASA activities presented by NASA Glenn Research Center, including:
• 10 am – 5 pm: Watch a video of Friendship 7, see John Glenn’s flight suit and explore our John Glenn tribute exhibits.

• 11 am – 4 pm: NASA activities presented by the NASA Glenn Education Programs Office, including:
o Glovebox challenge – do an experiment while wearing spacesuit gloves
o NASA Mars Rover landing on Xbox 360 – try to land Curiosity using an Xbox!

• 12 pm – 4 pm: Enjoy this family favorite:
o Picture Yourself in Space photo booth – get your free picture taken in a space-themed backdrop

All of these programs – on both Saturday and Monday – are included with general admission to the Science Center. No advance reservations are required.

For more details on these events, visit www.GreatScience.com and click on “NASA.”

Please note that we’re currently renovating our NASA Glenn Visitor Center to bring visitors a completely redesigned space experience with new galleries, hands-on exhibits, artifacts and videos. The highly anticipated first phase of the new NASA Glenn Visitor Center will open spring 2013. In the meantime, please pardon our dust while we work to bring you a bigger and better NASA Glenn Visitor Center.

Media Contact:
Kristen Glaspell
Marketing & PR Manager
216-696-3823
glaspellk@glsc.org

About Great Lakes Science Center
Great Lakes Science Center is one of the nation’s leading science and technology centers and home to Northeast Ohio’s NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Its mission is to engage visitors through fun, interactive experiences to stimulate curiosity about and encourage understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. It features hundreds of hands-on exhibits, themed traveling exhibits, daily demonstrations, the awe-inspiring OMNIMAX® Theater and the Steamship William G. Mather. The Science Center is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Discounted parking is available for guests in the attached 500-car garage. Great Lakes Science Center is generously funded by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. For more information, contact the Science Center at 216-694-2000 or visit www.GreatScience.com.

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