Did you know the University of Arizona is sending a spacecraft to an asteroid?
The University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Lab will preview the upcoming OSIRIS-REx mission at an open house Saturday. Next door, the Flandrau Science Center will open its renovated planetarium theater.
Just days before the asteroid mission launches from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, you can learn all about the project at the Kuiper Space Sciences building on the University of Arizona mall.
“People don’t realize that this is a big mission. This is NASA’s first interplanetary launch in three years and it is being run out of the University of Arizona," said Tim Swindle, the lab's director.
You can hear from members of the OSIRIS-REx team, and there will be musical and literature offerings, and activities for the kids.
“Building models of the spacecraft, paper models, and building stomp rockets as well as some hands on things with meteorites and some other things like that," Swindle said.
The open house runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Meanwhile, Flandrau Science Center is unveiling its renovated planetarium theater.
“We have more seats, for one thing, so we can fit larger crowds of people in here. But not only that the seats have been rearranged in their layout so when audiences come in when they look for the co-called best seats, we have a lot more best seats now," said Michael Magee, planetarium manager.
Flandrau will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and planetarium shows will cost $3.
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