GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER KICKS OFF SECOND ANNUAL ‘SPACE WEEK' WITH SPACE-THEMED EVENTS IN THE NASA GLENN VISITOR CENTER, A SLEEPOVER, ASTRONAUNTS AND AN OMNIMAX® MOVIE

July 22nd, 2011

CLEVELAND (July 22, 2011) – Whether you want to launch rockets, talk to NASA astronauts or spend the night among space exhibits, Great Lakes Science Center has the ultimate line-up of fun for Cleveland families with its second annual Space Adventure Week, July 25 – 31. Many of the events will take place in the NASA Glenn Visitor Center.

“We’re so excited to host Space Adventure Week again this year so people of all ages can come to Great Lakes Science Center and learn about science in a very hands-on way,” said Dante Centuori, director of creative productions at the Science Center. “We’re also welcoming representatives from the NASA Glenn Research Center who will be here throughout the week to educate visitors about the latest in NASA lab developments, like microgravity.”

On Tuesdays, we offer free general admission to youth 18 and under all day long, which also applies to the Tuesday during Space Adventure Week (July 26). All children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. This offer does not include OMNIMAX Theater or Steamship William G. Mather.

Please visit our website to view the complete Space Adventure Week schedule. Highlights include:

Monday, July 25 / 2 p.m.
MEET NASA ASTRONAUTS
Meet two astronauts—Gregory H. Johnson and Michael Fincke—who flew on the STS-134 crew this past May! They’ll share highlights from their STS-134 mission to the International Space Station. This 16-day mission was the final flight of the orbiter Endeavor and it was Pilot Johnson’s second flight. Mission Specialist Fincke performed three spacewalks during the mission, and he’s currently the US astronaut with the most time in space—382 days. Be sure to stick around after the presentation for an informal meet and greet!

Friday, July 29 / 7 p.m.
SPACE SLEEPOVER
Launch stomp rockets, fly your own Mars glider and check out our STARLAB portable planetarium. Travel to the Red Planet with the Facing Mars exhibition, explore the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, watch the OMNIMAX movie, Destiny in Space, and much more. Then grab your sleeping bag and spend the night among the exhibits! Enjoy a late-night snack, breakfast and free admission to the Science Center the next day. $39 per person ($35 members). Get details.

July 25 – 31 / 12 p.m.
OMNIMAX MOVIE, HUBBLE
This film favorite is back on the schedule for one week only! Join astronauts as they launch and service the most iconic scientific instrument of our time: the Hubble Space Telescope. Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio and filled with stellar images of the universe, Hubble is one film you won't want to miss! Get details. Regular OMNIMAX fees apply.

Tuesday, July 26; Wednesday, July 27; Friday, July 29 / Times vary
MEET NASA SCIENTISTS
Hear about the latest NASA lab developments from researchers, staff and engineers from the NASA Glenn Research Center! Many of the events will be hosted in the NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Get details.

DAILY EVENTS (please check daily schedule for times):
• Pose with Eva: Eva, NASA’s larger-than-life astronaut, will be “spacewalking” at the Science Center. Take your picture with the inflatable astronaut—she loves to meet new people!

• Picture Yourself in Space: Grab your family and friends and take a free souvenir digital picture in our space-themed photo booth!

• Witness the Big Science Show: Watch a large-scale spectacle of science as our wild and wacky staff educators perform incredible space-themed experiments that defy gravity…and common sense!

• Participate in Spaced-Theme Activities:
o Gyroscope: Visitors can try out what it feels like to be controlled by a gyroscope, like a spaceship.
o NASA Exhibit: See 3D images from NASA’s orbiting Mars spacecraft, on loan from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
o Lunar & Mars Soil Simulant: Examine up close high-quality examples of lunar soil replicas as used by scientists at Glenn to learn about the moon.

• Visit the NASA Glenn Visitor Center: Discover more than 50 space-themed exhibits. See the actual Skylab 3 Apollo Command Module, check out a real moon rock, maneuver a remote-controlled lunar rover and more!

• Experience the Facing Mars Exhibition: Would you survive the journey to the Red Planet? Explore 28 entertaining and thought-provoking exhibits to ignite your imagination. Get details.

• Purchase Astronaut Ice Cream: Swing by the Science Store to enjoy Astronaut Ice Cream, a freeze-dried treat that astronauts eat on NASA space missions. The ice cream is available in six flavors!

Daily programs are free with paid admission to the Science Center. This does not include the OMNIMAX Theater, Space Sleepover or Facing Mars exhibition.

For more detailed information on Space Adventure Week, visit http://www.greatscience.com/spaceweek/spaceweek2011.php.

About the 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 stimulate interest in and increase understanding of the sciences, with a particular emphasis on the interdependence of
scientific, environmental and technological activities in the Great Lakes region. 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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