In celebration of Ohio Space Week, NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland is bringing an immersive experience to Great Lakes Science Center, home of the NASA Glenn Visitor Center, on Sept. 12 and 13. This event is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. 

At Discovery Days, attendees can learn firsthand about NASA’s major missions and cutting-edge technology. Demonstrations and exhibits will tell the story of human ingenuity as we prepare for our return to the Moon with the Artemis campaign and work to develop power, propulsion, and communications systems to take us to Mars and beyond.  

Designed to bring NASA outside the gates and into the community, Discovery Days also will feature augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) simulations that show guests what it’s like to take a supersonic flight and venture into space. Guests can meet real NASA astronauts, engineers, and scientists who make the seemingly impossible, possible. 

NASA Astronaut Presentations and Meet and Greets 

• Join NASA astronaut Sunita “Suni” Williams for a special presentation at 11 a.m., Friday, Sept. 12, to kick off Discovery Days in the Great Lakes Science Center’s Dome Theater. This special presentation is available on a first-come, first-served basis.  

• NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock will be available for meet and greets throughout the weekend.
  • Friday, Sept. 12, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. and 2 – 3 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 13,  11 a.m. – noon and 1 – 2 p.m.  

Other Highlights Include:

• Lunar Crater Challenge – “Drive” a small rover into an 8-foot crater to accomplish a mission and then back out before running out of power.   
• Aeronautics Adventure – Watch a wind tunnel demo, touch “ice” on a S-3B Viking airplane wing that was tested in Glenn’s Icing Research Tunnel, and “ride” in a supersonic test plane using AR/VR goggles to learn about NASA’s role in the future of flight.
• Cosmic Connections – Learn about the value NASA provides to everyday life through interactive kiosks and NASA Spinoff publications. Then, strike a pose in our cosmic selfie station.
• Suited for Space – NASA’s new “Suits and Boots” exhibit is making its Ohio debut. See five past, present, and future spacesuits in the Evolution of the Spacesuit exhibit and learn the story of human space exploration and its evolution. Pick your boots for the next Artemis mission and step into an astronaut’s shoes at the Artemis Boots exhibit. Plus, “try on” various spacesuits with an Astro suit virtual demonstration to learn about spacesuit technology, and test your knowledge on our interactive kiosks.  
• The Drop Stop – See a real science experiment in a drop tower demonstration to better understand microgravity and its impact on crucial NASA research.  
• “NASA GO!” – Stop by the official welcome station, where you can learn about the various interactive activities throughout the Science Center, talk to NASA staff about internships, grab an Ohio astronaut poster, and start your “NASA GO!” adventure to collect our vintage postcards and Artemis boot pins.  
• Make It, Take It – Make your own zipper pull at Glenn’s Machine Shop mobile trailer.
• Field Trips – Field trip groups are being coordinated for Friday, Sept. 12. Field trip groups wishing to attend dedicated sessions Friday, Sept. 12, should contact DiscoveryDays@glsc.org.