ERIE, Pa. -- Orion, the next vehicle that will take astronauts into space, will be the topic of discussion when Open House Night in Astronomy returns to Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, on Thursday, Jan. 29.
The presentation, titled “Introducing Orion: NASA’s Next-Generation Space Shuttle” will be held at 7:30 p.m. in room 101 of the college’s School of Science Complex. It is free and open to the public.
During the presentation, Jim Gavio, director of the Yahn Planetarium at Penn State Behrend, will discuss Orion, its capabilities and the results from its first test flight, which occurred in December 2014. He will also discuss what can be expected from future test flights and how Orion might have the potential to finally take humans to Mars.
Planetarium shows will be held before and after Gavio’s presentation, with the first show being held from 6:30 to 7 p.m. and the second airing from 8:30 to 9 p.m. To see one of the shows that evening, there will be a special discounted rate of $3.50 per adult and $2.50 for children 12 and under. Anyone who presents a valid Penn State ID will receive free admission.
Open House Nights in Astronomy are an outreach program of the School of Science at Penn State Behrend. These nontechnical presentations are intended for ages 8 and up; for additional information, contact the school at 814-898-6105.