NASA Lunar Science Institute

Moonfest 2009: From Apollo to LCROSS, and Beyond

Organized by the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI) and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) team, Moonfest 2009 celebrated the exploration of our Moon with a free, public festival on Sunday, July 19, 2009, at the NASA Ames Research Center. Moonfest was a family friendly event with over 10,000 people in attendance!

On July 20, 1969, our nation and the world watched in awe as the first humans stepped foot onto another world. Moonfest celebrated the 40th anniversary of this momentous landing while also showcasing subsequent and planned future explorations of the Moon by the United States and other space-faring nations. The day included scientific talks by various speakers including theoretical physicist and author Lawrence Krauss, LCROSS PI Tony Colaprete, Astronaut Don Pettit, and others.

Participants meet with the Apollo Panel after a special event in the main tent.

The Livermore Unit of the National Association of Rocketry, LUNAR, participated by launching scale models of the Apollo Saturn V rockets and other spacecraft from the Apollo era. Launching model rockets from the airfield was a big hit with the general public! Other organizations were in attendance, including: The International Year of Astronomy representatives; SOFIA: Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy; NASA ARC’s Small Spacecraft Division; Regolith Excavation Challenge sponsored by the California Space Education & Workforce Initiative; AstraCultura; NASA Greenspace; Moon Rocks from Johnson Space Center; the Lunar & Planetary Institute; NASA GSFC’s Dynamic Response of the Environment at the Moon (DREAM) team; Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation’s RocketCam; and the Space Port Academy of The Astronaut Teacher Alliance (TATA)—to name a few.

These outdoor exhibits were complete with fun activities for all ages, teaching children and adults about the history and geology of our Moon as well as past, current, and future lunar exploration. From puzzles to coloring contests to boisterous quiz games, there was something for every age and personality. Children were even able to assemble their own hand-made paper rockets, which were launched with compressed air towards a “crater” target – 1500 rockets were launched during the afternoon! Part of the Moonfest experience was the great Moon-themed music, featuring: The Myc, featuring Torman Jahi; the song Water on the Moon by LCROSS Deputy Project Manager John Marmie; the smooth sounds of the Ames Jazz Band, and other live performances.

Moonfest provided a great opportunity for the local community to learn about the Moon and NASA Ames’ part in lunar exploration. This was the largest event at NASA Ames in five years, and was done in an environmentally responsible way; 90% of the waste at the event was diverted from landfill!

Moonfest was a memorable occasion for all participants, and NLSI looks forward to hosting this festive event again next year.