NASA Returns to AirVenture Fly-In with Piece of the Moon

July 22, 2009

Beth Dickey
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2087


Kathy Barnstorff
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
757-864-9886, 757-344-8511

RELEASE: 09-172

NASA RETURNS TO AIRVENTURE FLY-IN WITH PIECE OF THE MOON

WASHINGTON -- Forty years and one week after humans first walked on
the moon, visitors to the country's biggest annual air show will be
able to see a piece of the lunar surface in person.

This is a rare visit by a moon rock to EAA AirVenture, the
Experimental Aircraft Association's fly-in, held in Oshkosh, Wis.,
July 27 to Aug. 2. The rock is part of a larger exhibit that
celebrates NASA's contributions to space exploration, aeronautics
research and Earth science.

"This year we're celebrating not only our historic landing on the
moon
40 years ago, but also looking forward to the next generation of moon
missions," said Jim Hull, NASA exhibits manager at NASA Headquarters
in Washington.

Visitors to the NASA pavilion can see an example of an inflatable
lunar habitat design concept and learn more about those robotic moon
missions with the help of interactive media including mission
animations, project videos, models, and lunar mapping images.

The exhibit will feature models that show how NASA plans to return to
the moon and why. Air show participants also can see a full-scale
replica of one of the Mars exploration rovers in front of a
three-dimensional image of a Martian landscape.

No NASA presentation at an air show would be complete without a look
at NASA's contributions to aeronautics. Exhibits feature a number of
NASA-developed aviation technologies that are common in airplanes
today. In an education area, youngsters can make and take their own
ring wing gliders and participate in other hands-on activities.

A number of other people who work at NASA will share their expertise
at AirVenture 2009, too. Aerospace craftspeople will be there to
reveal mysteries of science and show how they develop experiments and
equipment to help keep America a leader in aerospace technologies.

NASA representatives also will give presentations throughout the show
at various AirVenture pavilions. Scheduled forum speakers include a
test pilot, a space shuttle flight director and research engineers.
They will discuss subjects including uncrewed aircraft, recent
robotic moon missions and mission control tips for experimental
aviators.

For more information about AirVenture, visit:

http://www.airventure.org

For more information about NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission
Directorate, visit:

http://aeronautics.nasa.gov

For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

-end-