Popular display of full-scale model of rover,"Curiosity,"
ends on Father's Day - June 20

SEATTLE, June 10, 2010--The very popular exhibit of a full-scale model of NASA's next Mars rover, Curiosity--also known as The Mars Science Laboratory--ends on Father's Day, June 20. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Solar System Ambassador Merle Hanley will be conducting tours and answering questions about Curiosity on June 10, 13, 17 and 19 at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.Tours on Father's Day, June 20, will be at 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
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The high-fidelity model is on loan from NASA JPL, where Curiosity is currently under development. Nearly the size of a compact car, it is the largest--and most advanced--Mars rover yet. It is scheduled to be launched to the Red Planet in autumn 2011 on a mission to assess the planet's ability to support microbial life.

For more information see: http://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/

Photo credit: Full-scale model of Mars rover, Curiosity. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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The non-profit Museum of Flight is one of the largest independent air and space museums in the world. The Museum's collection includes more than 150 historically significant air- and spacecraft, as well as the William E. Boeing Red Barn® - the original manufacturing facility of the Boeing Co. The J. Elroy McCaw Personal Courage Wing displays 28 World War I and World War II aircraft from the United States and other countries including Germany, Russia, and Japan. Over 30 aircraft representing the first century of aviation are displayed in the all-glass T.A. Wilson Great Gallery. The evolution of space flight and a look into the future are presented in the exhibit, Space: Exploring the New Frontier. The Airpark includes outdoor displays including the first jet Air Force One, a supersonic Concorde airliner and the prototype Boeing 747 jumbo jet. Interactive displays in The Flight Zone provide educational and entertaining activities for young children. The Museum's aeronautical library and archival holdings are the largest on the West Coast. More than 140,000 students are served annually by the Museum's on-site and outreach educational programs--the most extensive museum-based youth aviation and space education program in the country. The Museum is the only air and space museum in Washington State that is both nationally accredited with the American Association of Museums and a Smithsonian affiliate.
 
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