Intrepid Museum Presents Astronomy Night

Free Fridays are back! The Intrepid Museum is once again extending its hours free of charge on Friday, July 26 from 5:00pm-9:00pm. Don’t miss special programming during Free Fridays, including the Museum’s popular Summer Movie Series and Astronomy Night, part of the Astro Live Series.

Astronomy Nights are FREE and feature fun-filled and educational experiences for the whole family, including talks from astronauts, engineers, and scientists and activities & demos led by Museum educators.

This month, hear from Artemis Launch Director, Charlie Blackwell Thompson as she shares her experience in Firing Room 1 of Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Control Center for the historic launch of Artemis I. Learn about the significance of NASA’s Artemis missions and returning humanity, including the first woman and person of color, to the surface of the Moon.

Livestreaming of the conversation will be available if you can't make it in person to the Intrepid Museum. View the live event on or .

Additionally, in connection with the Museum’s newest exhibition: Apollo: When We Went to the Moon, all of the movies this summer will feature stories about humankind’s exploration and fascination with the Moon. During this movie night, enjoy views of the Hudson River and city skyline while screening the film First Man on the flight deck. Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs, picnic baskets and blankets to view the film outdoors, free of charge, on a huge inflatable screen on the flight deck. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis and space is limited. Light concessions will be sold onsite, and visitors are encouraged to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is NOT permitted. Movie will begin at sunset.

* American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be available for the demonstration, featured speaker, and some of the educator cart. Movie will also have open captions.

Doors will open promptly at 5:00pm, Last entry to the Museum is at 8:30 pm (doors are subject to close earlier, entry is not guaranteed). All visitors must enter through the Welcome Center to receive a free ticket prior to entering the Museum.

Charlie Blackwell-Thompson serves as launch director for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, based at NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida. She oversees the countdown and liftoff of NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis missions. On Nov. 16, 2022, Blackwell-Thompson led her team during the first launch of Artemis – and uncrewed flight test of SLS and the Orion spacecraft. She is now preparing for Artemis II, the first crewed Artemis mission. Named to the position in January 2016, Blackwell-Thompson is NASA’s first female launch director.

Her role includes leading and managing the launch operations planning and execution for the Exploration Ground Systems program and Exploration Systems Development Division, or ESD. She also serves as the cross-program lead to the Launch Integration team responsible for integration and coordination of launch operations across the three programs: SLS, Orion and EGS. In her role as launch director, she manages the development of all launch countdown plans, philosophy, and launch and scrub turnaround procedures and schedules, as well as training approaches.

Astro Live is supported through a NASA Cooperative Agreement awarded to the New York Space Grant Consortium.

The program is also supported, in part, by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Host or Publisher Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum