Huntsville will celebrate the generations that helped take America to space while looking toward those who will carry exploration forward when the Space Explorers’ Celebration returns to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center next month.
Retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charlie Bolden, a four-time space shuttle astronaut and former NASA administrator, will headline the Oct. 2 celebration in the Saturn V Hall.
The event will honor space explorers, their families and the contractors whose work has supported the nation’s space program, while recognizing the emerging generation of scientists, engineers and other STEM professionals.
This year’s celebration will also include members of the STS-45 space shuttle crew.
Bolden flew aboard four shuttle missions, STS-61C, STS-31, STS-45 and STS-60, before later serving as NASA’s 12th administrator from 2009 to 2017.
During his tenure, NASA transitioned from the Space Shuttle Program while expanding use of the International Space Station and developing the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft for future exploration missions.
The celebration comes as Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle has proclaimed October as Space Exploration Celebration month in the Rocket City.
The evening will begin at 4:30 p.m., when guests can visit the Space Exploration Wall of Honor in the Apollo Courtyard. A reception and dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Saturn V Hall, followed by the program.
Organizers are also seeking nominations for the Emerging Explorers Recognition, which will honor three early-career professionals whose work is helping shape the future of exploration.
Nominees can come from fields including aerospace, cybersecurity, medicine, engineering and other STEM disciplines and will be considered for their innovation, impact, leadership, future potential and commitment to exploration and discovery.
The celebration follows last year’s inaugural event hosted by the Marshall Retirees Association, which coincided with the dedication of the Space Exploration Wall of Honor. Organizers say the effort is intended in part to preserve the tradition of earlier Apollo, Saturn V and Space Shuttle reunions while passing the space exploration torch to the Artemis generation.
Tickets are $65 and are available to the public. The deadline to purchase tickets is Sept. 23.
Tickets and additional information are available through the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation’s Space Explorers Celebration page.
Got a tip for OTR? Send your tip to [email protected] with related photo/video, your name, phone number, and e-mail address.
