Portrait of Tuskegee airman Edward M. Thomas by photographer Toni Frissell March 1945

Tuskegee Airmen Featured in February Launch Pad Lecture

Popular Speaker Series Moves Location to New Horizons Theater What: The Tuskegee Airmen, an historic group of World War II African American fighter and bomber pilots, will be the topic of the February Launch Pad Lecture. Ms. Carolyn A. Peeler will give the presentation. Ms. Peeler is the Chief of Manpower and Organization, 49th Force

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The Governor’s Commission to the New Mexico Museum of Space History will hold a regular quarterly meeting at 1:00 pm.

Governor’s Commission Meeting Scheduled

Regular Quarterly Meeting to be held January 26 (Alamogordo, New Mexico, January 19, 2024) – The Governor’s Commission to the New Mexico Museum of Space History will hold a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting on Friday, January 26, 2024, beginning at 1:00 pm in the Udall Building at 725 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe. The Commission’s agenda

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News from the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, NM

Museum Welcomes Three New Staff Members

(Alamogordo, New Mexico, January 4, 2024) – The New Mexico Museum of Space History is pleased to welcome three new staff members – Education Specialist Llirmarie DeLeon, Assistant Curator Brianna Buller, and Finance Officer Andy Olivas. “Each of our new staff members brings a unique skill set and personal passion to our museum and we’re delighted

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NM Museum of Space History Launch Pad Lecture is on the first Friday of every month. The event is free and open to the public. Coffee and donuts are compliments of the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation.

Ranger & Mariner: All Aboard! Free January Launch Pad Lecture Friday

What: The monthly Launch Pad Lecture at the New Mexico Museum of Space History will feature Museum Education Director Mike Shinabery. His topic will be “Ranger & Mariner: All Aboard!” Shinabery will discuss these early space probes and what they were designed to do. This is the last Launch Pad Lecture to be held on the

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NM Museum of Space History Astronomy League Star Party — Public Event

Astronomy League December Activities

What: The Museum of Space History’s Astronomy League has lots going on in December! This month’s League meeting has been moved to Thursday, December 7. The monthly meeting of the New Mexico Museum of Space History’s Astronomy League welcomes astronomers of all ages and skill levels. The meeting will be held in the Clyde W. Tombaugh

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NM Museum of Space History's new exhibit Sci-Fi Sci-Fact

Sci Fi & Sci Fact: Two Worlds Collide Exhibit Opens December 15

What: Learn how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has helped save lives. Discover how a guy named Hugo laid the groundwork for virtual reality and wireless technology in the early 1900s. See how the realms of science fiction and science fact overlap and help create our modern world when the Sci Fi & Sci Fact exhibit opens on Friday, December 15. Where: New

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NM Museum of Space History Launch Pad Lecture is on the first Friday of every month. The event is free and open to the public. Coffee and donuts are compliments of the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation.

Rayguns, Robots, and Rocketships! Free December Launch Pad Lecture Friday

What: The monthly Launch Pad Lecture at the New Mexico Museum of Space History will feature Museum Executive Director Chris Orwoll. His topic will be “Rayguns, Robots, and Rocketships!” Orwoll will talk about pop culture and the museum’s upcoming exhibit “Sci Fi & Sci Fact.” When: Friday, December 1, 2023, at 9:00 am. Where: New Mexico Museum of

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Former NASA Astronaut Col. (ret.) Frank Borman. Photo credit: NASA

Apollo Legend Frank Borman Passes Away at 95

Astronaut Borman Died November 7, 2023 (Alamogordo, New Mexico) – Veteran of Gemini 7 and Apollo 8, Frank Borman passed away on November 7, 2023, in Billings, Montana, following a stroke. Borman was NASA’s oldest living astronaut. The New Mexico Museum of Space History extends its deepest condolences to Mr. Borman’s family and friends. Frank Borman

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NM Museum of Space History Astronomy League Star Party — Public Event

Free Star Party Saturday, Nov. 11

What: The Museum of Space History’s Astronomy League is hosting a free Star Party for everyone who loves to stargaze. Astronomy League members will point out Saturn, Jupiter, and other wonders of the early winter night sky. Selected objects will be shown live on large monitors to make viewing easier for children and the seeing impaired.

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ISS Spacewalk — Credit: NASA Astronauts sometimes work outside the space station. Working outside is called a spacewalk.

Free November Launch Pad Lecture Celebrates 25 Years on the Space Station

What: The monthly Launch Pad Lecture at the New Mexico Museum of Space History will feature Museum Education Director Michael Shinabery. His topic will be “ISS: 25th Anniversary”. He’ll give a brief history of the International Space Station and what it took to create and man it. When: Friday, November 3, 2023, at 9:00 am. Where: New Mexico Museum

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Veterans Day at the NM Museum of Space History

THREE Free Days at the Museum for Vets!

Veterans, Active-Duty Personnel, National Guard, First Responders, and Families Invited What: Veterans, active-duty service members, National Guard personnel, and first responders are invited to attend the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo free on the federally observed holiday Friday, November 10, on Veterans Day, Saturday, November 11, and Sunday, November 12.   When: Friday, November

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The Governor’s Commission to the New Mexico Museum of Space History will hold a regular quarterly meeting at 1:00 pm.

NM Museum of Space History Governor’s Commission Meeting

Regular Quarterly Meeting to be held October 27 The Governor’s Commission to the New Mexico Museum of Space History will hold a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting on Friday, October 27, 2023, beginning at 1:00 pm inside the Tombaugh Education Center on the campus of the museum. The Commission’s agenda will be posted to the museum

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Astronomy League Meeting — NM Museum of Space History

Astronomy League Meeting October 12

What: The monthly of the New Mexico Museum of Space History’s Astronomy League welcomes astronomers of all ages and skill levels. Special guest speaker for this meeting will be Carol McLean Wright who will be speaking about her and her father’s experiences with NASA during the Apollo era. Wright will be showing a LEM Operating Manual

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Photo -- Two men at the top of the tower with “Gadget” at Trinity Site. (Credit: Los Alamos National Lab)

“Oppenheimer After Trinity” to Premier at New Horizons Theater

What: The Museum of Space of Space History is pleased to present the award-winning documentary Oppenheimer After Trinity at the New Horizons Dome Theater. Oppenheimer After Trinity is a thought-provoking and insightful documentary that explores events that occurred after the testing of the world’s first atomic bomb in July of 1945. The documentary offers a

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Annular Eclipse at the NM Museum of Space History

The Sun to Put on Special Show for Great Southwest Star Party!

What: The sun is scheduled to put on a special annular eclipse to kick off the Great Southwest Star Party, featuring a deep partial eclipse with over 90% of the sun’s surface covered by the moon. Organizers of the Star Party were delighted to hear of the sun’s participation in the event and noted that it’s

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October LPL:Systems Engineering for Space Missions

Speaker: Sara Kerner –  Principal Software Engineer and Associate Fellow at Lockheed Martin Topic: Systems Engineering for Space Missions This topic will provide an overview of different space missions and how we build systems for space-based observation and exploration. Ms. Sara Kerner is a Principal Software Engineer and Associate Fellow at Lockheed Martin. She has

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Apollo 7 Astronaut Walter Cunningham Passes Away at 90

International Space Hall of Fame Inductee was 90 years old (Alamogordo, New Mexico, January 4, 2023) – International Space Hall of Fame Inductee Walter Cunningham passed away Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 90 years old. The New Mexico Museum of Space History staff extends its deepest condolences to his friends and family. Cunningham was the

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Aerospace Legend Colonel Joe Kittinger Passes Away at 94

High Flying Pioneer Had Many Connections to Holloman Air Force Base (Alamogordo, New Mexico, Dec. 9, 2022) – International Space Hall of Fame Inductee Colonel Joe Kittinger has passed away at 94. The New Mexico Museum of Space History staff extends its deepest condolences to his friends and family. Memorial services are being planned for

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SLS on Launchpad

The NEW Road to the Moon

Free Launch Pad Lecture Friday, November 4, 2022, at 9:00 am. The monthly Launch Pad Lecture at the New Mexico Museum of Space History will be on Friday, November 4, 2022, at 9:00 am. This months feature Museum Outreach Coordinator Tony Gondola. His topic will be “The NEW Road to the Moon” and will take a

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Apollo 9 Commander Jim McDivitt Passes Away at 93

Astronaut James A. McDivitt photo courtesy NASA International Space Hall of Fame Inductee James A. McDivitt has passed away at 93 surrounded by family and friends. A native of Chicago, Ill., McDivitt was best known as the Commander of Apollo 9, but he was also the Command pilot on Gemini IV, a U.S. Air Force

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Exoplanets: We are Not Alone

Free Launch Pad Lecture Introduces New Worlds The monthly Launch Pad Lecture at the Museum of Space History will feature Museum Outreach Coordinator Tony Gondola. His topic will be “Exoplanets: We are Not Alone,” and will highlight the amazing variety of worlds discovered beyond our solar system. From giant hot planets to Earth-like worlds in

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Cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov Passes Away

International Space Hall of Fame Inductee Held the World Record for Longest Manned Spaceflight International Space Hall of Fame Inductee Valeri Polyakov, the Russian cosmonaut who held the world record for the longest manned spaceflight, has passed away at the age of 80. The announcement was made by Roscosmos, Russia’s state space agency, on Monday

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Destination Moon and the Films that Made Us Ask “What if?”

Launch Pad Lecture Friday, September 3rd When: Friday, September 2, 2022, at 9:00 am. Where: New Mexico Museum of Space History, Alamogordo, NM. Take the elevator up to the second floor! Why: The event is free and open to the public. Coffee and donuts are compliments of the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation. The

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GE employees: General Electric employees posing on a V-2 rocket at White Sands Proving Ground (now White Sands Missile Range) in New Mexico. (Courtesy of White Sands Missile Range)

Home on the Range: From Ranches to Rockets

Launch Pad Lecture Slated for Friday, April 1 (Alamogordo, New Mexico, March 15, 2022) – At the turn of the 20th century, most of the arid land east of Las Cruces, New Mexico was ranch land. Cattle, sheep, and goat ranches filled the Tularosa Basin, the Oscuro Range, and the surrounding countryside. Most of these

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During Artemis I, Orion will venture thousands of miles beyond the moon during an approximately four to six-week mission. (Courtesy of NASA)

Three Steps to the Moon: The First Artemis Missions 

Launch Pad Lecture Slated for Friday, March 4 (Alamogordo, New Mexico, March 2, 2022) – Artemis 1 will be NASA’s first moon mission since Apollo. The uncrewed mission will take a multi-week journey to the moon and back to demonstrate that the Orion spacecraft is ready to carry astronauts, in preparation for the Artemis 2

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New Mexico native and Apollo 14 Lunar Module Pilot Edgar D. Mitchell describes the equipment that the Modular Equipment Transporter (MET) carried during the Apollo 14 spacewalk. (courtesy of NASA)

Back in the Saddle Again: The Flight of Apollo 14

Launch Pad Lecture Slated for Friday, February 4 (Alamogordo, New Mexico, January 28, 2022) – Apollo 14 was a mission of unusual things – from problems with the docking procedure that jeopardized the lunar landing, to the first round of golf on the surface of the moon – the third landing on the moon was

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The 1981 Max Mobile RRV. This caricature shows Faget as he readies for retirement in his “RRV” – Retirement, Recreation Vehicle – a combination of a space shuttle, motorboat, sail plane, and seaplane. Note the flag atop the mast. (courtesy of Maxime A. Faget Collection at the University of Houston-Clear Lake)

Rocket Man: Max Faget, The Ultimate Spacecraft Designer

Launch Pad Lecture Slated for Friday, January 7 (Alamogordo, New Mexico, December 27, 2021) – Exploring the incredible contributions of the boy who dreamed of being an engineer is the centerpiece of this month’s Launch Pad Lecture at the Museum of Space History. “Rocket Man: Max Faget, The Ultimate Spacecraft Designer,” presented by Museum Executive

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Dinosaurs of Antartica Producers, Deborah Raksany and Andy Wood, prepare a cryolophosaurus nest site. (courtesy Giant Screen Films)

New Horizons Theater Reopens with Film Premiere

Museum and Theater Return to Regular Hours (Alamogordo, New Mexico, Dec. 21, 2021) – The New Horizons Dome Theater and Planetarium will re-open on Sunday, December 26, with the premiere of the new full dome film Dinosaurs of Antarctica. On the same day, the New Mexico Museum of Space History will return to regular operating

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PHOTO CUTLINE: The world’s first atomic bomb detonation at Trinity Site. Courtesy WSMR

Trinity Site Open House Changes Dates

2022 Dates Move to April 2 and October 15 (Alamogordo, New Mexico, December 14, 2021) – White Sands Missile Range has announced that the 2022 dates for the Trinity Site Open Houses have changed to April 2 and October 15. The International Space Hall of Fame Foundation (ISHFF) and New Mexico Museum of Space History

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Gene Roddenberry (top center) on the set of Star Trek. Credit Everett Collection.

Launch Pad Lectures Re-Launch November 5

Where No Man Has Gone Before: 55 Years of Star Trek (Alamogordo, New Mexico, October 28, 2021) – The New Mexico Museum of Space History is pleased to announce that its popular Launch Pad Lecture speaker series will resume on November 5th, after a hiatus of more than a year and a half due to

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Governor’s Commission Meeting Scheduled

Regular Meeting of the New Mexico Museum of Space History’s Governor’s Commission Friday, October 29, 2021 (Alamogordo, New Mexico, October 18, 2021) – The Governor’s Commission to the New Mexico Museum of Space History will hold a regular quarterly meeting on Friday, October 29, 2021, at 1:00 pm. The meeting will be held via Zoom

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Space Museum Partners with Pizza 9

Restaurant to Host Science Saturdays (Alamogordo, New Mexico, August 12, 2021) – The New Mexico Museum of Space History pleased to announce a new partnership with Pizza 9 to bring the museum’s popular Science Saturday program for kids to the White Sands Mall beginning Saturday, August 14. Science Saturday is a monthly presentation by the

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Space Museum Garners Grant to Digitize 60s Era Space Films

More than a Dozen Films to be Digitized  (Alamogordo, New Mexico, June 11, 2021) – The New Mexico Museum of Space History is pleased to announce that it was recently awarded a “One Small Step” grant from the SPACE 3.0 Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization. The grant, which was applied for by Museum Curator Sue

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Trinity site sign

Reservations Open for October 2021 Trinity Site Tour

Museum to Host Motor Coach Tour (Alamogordo, New Mexico) – Reservations for the October 2021 Trinity Site motor coach tour, hosted by the New Mexico Museum of Space History and International Space Hall of Fame Foundation, began on April 20 through the museum’s website and almost immediately filled the six reserved coaches. Reservations are now

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Museum of Space History Celebrates Apollo

Museum of Space History Celebrates Apollo

Free Events Scheduled for Saturday, July 20th (Alamogordo, New Mexico, July 12, 2019) – At the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo, the celebration of Apollo has been a year-long event. From Launch Pad Lectures and Apollo themed summer camp classes, to manned space flight exhibits and the new giant screen film Apollo

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night sky

Stargazing Takes Center Stage!

Great Southwest Star Party Scheduled for May 31-June 2 (Alamogordo, New Mexico, March 25, 2019) – The first Great Southwest Star Party is slated to be held May 31-June 2, 2019, at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo. The three-day event will feature night sky viewing parties, museum and area tours, workshops,

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closeup on a fossil

Welcome Home Gordodon!

Museums Collaborate to Bring Ancient Reptile Fossil Back to Alamogordo (Alamogordo, New Mexico, March 14, 2019) – Gordodon, a history-changing ancient plant-eating reptile discovered near Alamogordo six years ago, will be making its return home on Friday, March 22, where a welcome reception will be held at the New Mexico Museum of Space History at

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admission ticket torn in half

New Mexico Museums & Historic Sites Offering Free Admission to Furloughed Employees and Their Families

(Santa Fe) – New Mexico’s state-run museums and historic sites are offering free admission to furloughed federal employees and their families during the government shutdown. “New Mexico’s Department of Cultural Affairs is opening doors at all of our facilities to furloughed federal government workers and their families,” said Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) cabinet secretary,

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small child looking through a telescope

A Telescope for Christmas

Simple Rules for Buying a Telescope as a Gift (Alamogordo, New Mexico, December 10, 2018) – Well, it’s happened. Your bright and curious child has asked for a telescope for Christmas. Your first impulse will be to Google your favorite internet retailer and buy the first thing that looks reasonable. That might work out, but

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John W. Young in his spacesuit

American Hero Astronaut John Young Passes Away

International Space Hall of Fame Inductee was 87 (Alamogordo, New Mexico, January 6, 2018) – The only man to fly on Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle missions has passed away at 87 from complications of pneumonia. John W. Young is being hailed by fellow astronauts as the “astronauts’ astronaut” and former President George H.W. Bush

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Astronaut Gordon in front of space equipment

International Space Hall of Fame Inductee Passes Away

(Alamogordo, New Mexico, November 8, 2017) – Astronaut Richard F. “Dick” Gordon passed away at his home in San Marcos, California, on Monday, November 6. The Gemini and Apollo veteran was 88 years old. He was preceded in death by his wife Linda, who passed away in September 2017. His first wife Barbara died in

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