Join us as we welcome our new Home Beyond Earth exhibition with a grand opening that will keep you and the family in orbit all day with space station-themed workshops, presentations and expert guests.

See full event schedule below.


Opening Day activities are FREE with Museum Membership and included with general admission.

Event Details

Date: Saturday, June 8, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM


Activity Schedule

11:00 AM to 12:30 PM - Outposts on the Frontier: A Fifty-Year History of Space Stations by Jay Chladek (a book talk and signing)
A vast trove of stories filled with excitement, danger, humor, sadness, failure, and success, Outposts on the Frontier reveals how the Soviets and the Americans combined strengths to build space stations over the past fifty years. At the heart of these scientific advances are people of both greatness and modesty. Jay Chladek documents the historical tapestry of the people, the early attempts at space station programs, and how astronauts and engineers have contributed to and shaped the ISS in surprising ways. Outposts on the Frontier delves into the intriguing stories behind the USAF Manned Orbiting Laboratory, the Almaz and Salyut programs, Skylab, the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project, Spacelab, Mir station, Spacehab, and the ISS, and gives past-due attention to Vladimir Chelomei, the Russian designer whose influence in space station development is as significant as Sergei Korolev’s in rocketry.

Outposts on the Frontier is available for purchase in the Museum Store and online.


11:00 AM to 4:00 PM - Live Screen printing by Fingers Duke
Fingers Duke will demonstrate live screen printing of a limited edition Home Beyond Earth poster that guests can take home for FREE! (while supplies last)


11:00 AM to 3:00 PM - Lets Build a Rocket! A Workshop with Jhun Carpio
Make a rocket out of cardboard tubes, coffee stirrers, 3D Printed cones and LED lights! Led by artist and scale modeler Jhun Carpio, this hands on and customizable workshop takes 10-15 minutes and is suitable for ages 9+. While supplies last.

Jhun Carpio is a scale model artist who has been creating models since he moved from the Philippines to Seattle in 1983. Inspired by memories of boxes handcrafted from toothpicks and sold as souvenirs that he saw as a child Carpio uses wooden stirrers, matchsticks, and toothpicks to create highly detailed models.


12:30 PM to 1:00 PM - Aliens: Join the Scientists Searching Space for Extraterrestrial Life by Joalda Morancy (a kids book talk and signing)
Join space expert and children’s author, Joalda Morancy, to explore all things extraterrestrial! Joalda will sort myth from fact and bring you the real science behind the search for alien lifeforms. Their book takes readers on a tour of the Solar System (and beyond) on board new NASA missions searching for the most likely alien hiding places―from icy moons of Jupiter to the clouds of Venus.

Aliens is available in the Museum Store and online.


2:00 PM to 3:00 PM - Orbital Reef and the Future of Space Stations Talk with Erika Wagner
Join Erika Wagner, Blue Origin’s Senior Director for Emerging Space Markets, as she discusses Orbital Reef, the future of space stations, and living in space! Q&A to follow.


11:00 AM to 4:00 PM - Resource Fair
Meet the engineers, artists, and entrepreneurs imagining life in space!


Weekend Family Workshop: Technical Drawings

Throughout history, humans have dreamed about what it could be like to live beyond the Earth. In this workshop, create your own plans for a home away from the planet we know. Get your plans approved by a Museum of Flight Educator, and build a model using simple supplies!


Exhibitors: