Mission Moon: Past, Present, Future
On exhibit through September 29, 2008

Through lunar photographs from Ranger to Apollo and data gathered from Clementine to Lunar Prospector, the exhibition examines how the Moon was formed, how it evolved, and why it remains a place of wonder 40 years after Apollo. Included in the exhibit are 3D imagery acquired by the Apollo and Surveyor programs and a NASA lunar sample (Moon rock) collected by Apollo 17 Astronaut, Harrison Schmitt. Discover the Rhode Island researchers and students that are involved in studying lunar materials, probing the interior through geophysics, and participating in lunar missions including NASA’s LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter), M3 (Moon Mineralogy Mapper), LCROSS (Lunar Crater Remote Sensing Satellite), and Japan’s Selene.

space ARTifacts: imagination and exploration
Opening in late October 18, 2008
The exhibition will focus on artwork that has been influenced by space exploration technology. Types of technology, like spacesuits and probes, have continued to allow humans to travel deeper into unknown regions of space.  The exhibition will explore the relationship between human exploration and its necessary technology. The exhibit will include unique video footage of the Museum’s surrounding park’s landscape. The video was filmed using a fabricated satellite dish, created by exhibit designer Steven Santaniello from RISD, with a camera that allowed him to film using different perspectives. The images made from this machine will be reflections reminiscent of the solar shield on the Apollo space suit helmets. The machine, along with a NASA space shuttle tire, will be part of this exciting new exhibit.  The exhibit is being designed in collaboration with the Museum of Natural History, NASA RI Space Grant Consortium, NASA Northeast Regional Planetary Data Center, and Steven Santaniello from RI School of Design.