Beyond Spaceship Earth sneak peek: Indiana Astronaut Wall of Fame

It’s time for part 2 of a special 3-part series which investigates the upcoming Beyond Spaceship Earth permanent gallery and exhibit, opening at the Children’s Museum on June 25th. Why devote a series to just one exhibit? Everything we’ve seen to date has been astounding, from the renderings to the research to the opportunities for STEM learning. And because, well, it’s the Children’s Museum. Here’s part 2; watch for the rest by resident IC writer Pete Gilbert as he covers what will become the newest favorite reason to visit the Children’s Museum. 

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For the last few weeks we’ve been getting glimpses of the newest exhibit coming to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Beyond Spaceship Earth. Beyond Spaceship Earth is essentially three exhibits in one. A few weeks ago we looked at part one of the exhibit, a recreation of the International Space Station.

Today we look at the second part of the exhibit, the Indiana Astronaut Wall of Fame.

The Indiana Astronaut Hall of Fame will showcase more than 30 astronauts and NASA engineers with ties to Indiana.

A few of the notable astronauts and engineers featured in the exhibit are…

Dr. David Wolf: Indianapolis native, Dr. David Wolf is a former astronaut whose achievements include: helping to assemble the International Space Station and flying or operating different space craft including Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavor, Columbia, and MIR, just to name a few. While at the museum, be on the lookout for Dr. Wolf – he is the Museum’s first Extraordinary Scientist-in-Residence and also assisted in the creation of Beyond Spaceship Earth the exhibit. {If you see him be sure to ask him why his nieces and nephews call him Mud!}.

Janice Voss: South Bend native, Janice Voss completed space missions on aboard shuttles Endeavour, Discovery and Columbia. Voss is one of only a handful of female astronauts to fly into space five times. Voss, a Purdue grad, also has a solar system model (VOSS Model) dedicated to her at Purdue University’s Discovery Park, in West Lafayette.

Neil Armstrong: Did you know one of the most well-known astronauts and the first man to walk on the moon was a Purdue grad? Of course you already knew that. I bet you didn’t know he dated {and eventually} married my wife’s grandmother’s {Gigi’s} college roommate. In fact, she tells a great story of Armstrong wanting borrow her car to visit his girlfriend one winter break. And even though he’d already graduated and was a NASA test pilot, she didn’t trust him enough to drive, so she drove him, while he rode in the passenger seat.

Come learn more about these, and many other famous Indiana astronauts, when the Indiana Astronaut Hall of Fame inside Beyond Spaceship Earth opens June 25, at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

MORE INFO: Beyond Spaceship Earth opens at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis on Saturday, June 25, 2016. Exhibit will be included with general admission. The Children’s Museum is located at 3000 N. Meridian Street in Indianapolis. Call {317} 334-4000 or visit their website for additional details.