The 2012 season of the Exploring Space Lecture Series at the National Air and Space Museum will be devoted to "The Explorers: Cutting-Edge Science on a Budget." The longest-running name in the realm of scientific satellites in the known universe, the term "Explorer" has been assigned to a variety of spacecraft. The series began in January 1958 with the launch of Explorer 1 by the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, and has been continued by NASA in various forms for over half century. This year the lectures will concentrate on some of the most successful applications of the Explorer-class missions — those devoted to astronomy in the recent past and at present. Recent Explorers, such as WMAP, have established the era of precision observational cosmology. Swift has been catching violent stellar collisions in the act of producing gamma ray bursts. The International Ultraviolet Explorer made a space-borne telescope accessible to thousands of astronomers worldwide. And the Kepler Spacecraft is finding planets just like Earth.
This program is made possible by the generous support of NASA and Aerojet.
Exploring Space Lectures Ticket Policy:
Lectures are free, but tickets are required. Seating may be limited. To request tickets via this web site,
use the online ticket request form. You may also
pick up tickets for the lectures above at our Imax Box Offices during regular museum hours. Questions please
call (202) 633-2398 or e-mail nasmpubliclectures@si.edu.
The Explorers