Spacewoman Family Day

Celebrate the inspiring journey of the first woman to command a space shuttle! Enjoy a day of inspiration and exploration with astronaut and trailblazer Colonel Eileen Collins. This special celebration features an exclusive screening of the new film Spacewoman and a rare opportunity to meet Colonel Collins in person. A full day of interactive activities, gallery exploration, a photo op with Colonel Collins, and a 3:00 pm screening of Spacewoman for the general public. The documentary film is recommended for ages 12 and older.

Photo Opportunity with Colonel Collins 11:00 am–1:00 pm

Film Screening of Spacewoman 3:00 pm (90 min). The movie is just a $7 add-on to your paid museum admission.

Pop-Up Space Store – Visit the museum store for a special curated selection of space-themed items, including astronaut ice cream!

Family Activities 11:00 am–3:00 pm

Astronaut ID – Design your own badge and explore with a mission-based scavenger hunt!

Collins’s Call Shuttle Sham Radio – Recreate the challenges of space communication!

Make a Shuttle Kite – Color, cut, and fly your own shuttle kite!

Paper Plane Challenge – Discovering the Forces of Flight – Design and launch your own paper airplane while learning about the four forces of flight—lift, thrust, drag, and gravity—and the control surfaces that help real aircraft fly.

Falling with Style – How Space Shuttles Land – Space shuttles don’t glide like birds—they drop like paper planes! Test your shuttle design and see how many atmospheric milestones you can hit on reentry.

Merrily They Go Around – Gravity & Orbiting Objects – Use a fabric gravity well and weighted balls to explore how gravity keeps satellites, shuttles, and space stations in orbit. It’s hands-on physics at play!

Hands-On History – Exploring Space – Get up close with real NASA artifacts and equipment from past missions. Discover the gear that helped astronauts work, live, and explore the final frontier.