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 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. Local astronomers will be on hand with their high-powered telescopes to help visitors navigate the night sky and answer questions about astronomy and stargazing. Guests are welcome to bring their own binoculars or look through the telescopes of the experts.

This month, hear from former NASA astronaut and author Tom Jones who will discuss his latest book Space Shuttle Stories: Firsthand Astronaut Accounts from All 135 Missions while in conversation with former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino. Experience all 135 shuttle missions through firsthand accounts from the astronauts who flew them in the book, and hear a few from these actual astronauts as well!

Please note: A limited number of books will be available to purchase onsite, however visitors are strongly encouraged to bring their own copy. If you would like to purchase in advance: (Purchase on )

The talk will take place in the Intrepid Museum's Space Shuttle Pavilion. 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 .

* American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be available for the demonstration, featured speaker, telescope viewing on the flight deck, and some of the educator cart.

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.

Tom Jones is a veteran astronaut, planetary scientist, pilot, author, and speaker who completed four space shuttle missions and three spacewalks in helping build the International Space Station. Jones has authored six books, including Sky Walking: An Astronaut's Memoir, and has written for aerospace magazines such as Air & Space Smithsonian, Aerospace America, Popular Mechanics, and The Planetary Report. A senior research scientist for IHMC, he appears regularly on television news as an expert commentator for space exploration and science stories.

Experience all 135 NASA space shuttle missions ever flown through the words of the astronauts themselves in this spectacularly illustrated volume. With more than 600 photos from the NASA archives, this guide is perfect for fans of space history and spaceflight.

NASA's space shuttle was the world's first reusable spacecraft, accomplishing many firsts and inspiring generations across its 30-year lifespan as America's iconic spaceship. In Space Shuttle Stories, shuttle astronaut Tom Jones interviewed more than 130 fellow astronauts for personal vignettes from each mission, complemented by their written accounts for all 135 space shuttle missions, from Columbia's maiden flight in 1981 to the final launch of Atlantis in 2011. The book is a major contribution to the historical record of a momentous era of spaceflight, and isa definitive oral history that captures the importance, wonder, and exhilaration of the Space Shuttle era.

Each mission profile includes:

• An astronaut narrative that immerses the readers in their personal mission experience
• Data about the mission, crew, launch, landing, duration, and highlights
• Captivating photographs rarely seen by the public

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