Celebrate Space Day at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

Visitors of all ages are invited for a galactic adventure at the National Air and Space Museum's annual Space Day Saturday, May 3, celebrating NASA's 50th anniversary this year.

Space Day will feature a busy schedule of astronaut appearances; live performances by the award-winning a cappella group The Chromatics; an interactive space quiz; LEGO displays of real and imagined space vehicles by WAMALUG (Washington Metro Area Users Group), NASA and National Air and Space Museum scientists; and tours and stories for children. Among the day's highlights will be a live contact via amateur radio with the International Space Station at 11:30 a.m. Astronaut Garrett Reisman will be available to answer students' and young visitors' questions for an hour.

Space Day, created in 1997 by Lockheed Martin, is designed to encourage students to consider careers in space exploration as they study math, science, engineering and technology. Lockheed Martin sponsors Space Day events across the United States and Canada, with more than 70 partners and associates, including the National Air and Space Museum and NASA.

Organizations offering activity stations at the museum include NASA, the Northern Virginia Association of Rocketry, Team America Rocketry, AMSAT-Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation and Washington Metro Area Users Group.

The National Air and Space Museum building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. The museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Va., near Washington Dulles International Airport. Both facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (Closed Dec. 25) Admission is free, but there is a $12 fee for parking at the Udvar-Hazy Center.

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