Elected officials and community members from across the Bay Area joined NASA leadership today for the opening of the NASA Experience exhibit at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, California. This exhibit serves as a new visitor center for NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley, and provides a dynamic and interactive space for the public to learn more about local contributions to space exploration across the years.
“This is an incredible opportunity for NASA to share artifacts never before seen by the public,” said Mike Kincaid, Associated Administrator for the Office of STEM Engagement at NASA Headquarters. “This new visitor center for Ames is bringing NASA out into local communities and putting the stories of NASA’s people front and center.”
From models of spacecraft and genuine spacesuits from as early as the Mercury and Gemini missions to artifacts related to NASA’s upcoming Artemis missions, the NASA Experience gives visitors access to over 80 years of Ames history and a look into current and future projects. Ames’ expertise in wind tunnel testing, rover design and testing, space robotics, supercomputing, and more is on display.
“We are so excited to share with our community the incredible stories and the people behind NASA Ames,” said executive director Adam Tobin of Chabot. “This opening launches our larger shared vision for re-imagining STEM education. This is just the beginning.”
The exhibit also highlights the people of Ames, with interactive ways of learning about the stories that brought scientists, engineers, artists, and more from across the world to work for NASA in Silicon Valley.
Learn more about the NASA Experience and plan your own visit.
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Members of the news media interested in covering this topic should reach out to the NASA Ames newsroom.
Author: Frank Tavares, NASA’s Ames Research Center
Top image: Eugene Tu, center director at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley speaking at the opening ceremony for the NASA Experience at Chabot Space and Science Center. Image credit: NASA/Ames Research Center/Dominic Hart