Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A little piece of outer space has arrived at the University of Kansas.
NASA’s “Driven to Explore” mobile exhibit, parked next to Eaton Hall, features a 3.75 billion-year-old moon rock brought back to Earth by Capt. Ron Evans, the University’s first astronaut.
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The "Driven to Explore" traveling program includes a chunk of rock from the moon, brought back by Ron Evans from the Apollo 17 mission.
Graphic by Haley Jones
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What: NASA’s traveling “Driven to Explore” exhibit
What You’ll See: A 3.75 billion-year-old lunar rock, brought back to the Earth by the first KU astronaut
Where: Parking lot directly east of Eaton Hall
When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: Free and open to the public
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In addition to meeting space and logistical requirements to host the event, the KU School of Engineering has undertaken special safety measures to protect the priceless lunar rock.
Jill Hummels, public relations director for the school, said she was working closely with the KU Public Safety Office to keep the rock safe. Hummels said NASA required officers to regularly check in on the exhibit.
“We have spoken to the engineering school about the safety requirements and are acting accordingly,” said Capt. Schuyler Bailey of the KU Public Safety Office.
Lucie Johannes, materials research engineer with NASA, said each location hosting the exhibit had to collaborate with NASA in order to ensure the safety of the moon rock.
“We just keep a constant watch over it,” Johannes said. “And at night, it’s kept in a double-lock safe with a key and combination.”
Evans, a 1956 electrical engineering alumnus, served as the command module pilot on the 1972 Apollo 17 mission, the last scheduled manned mission to the moon.
The moon rock, classified as a mare basalt, weighs about seven-tenths of an ounce and is about the size of a piece of unchewed gum. The polished, silvery smooth rock is one of only seven in the world that the public can touch.
Temple Richardson, Excelsior Springs, Mo., junior, said she was surprised by the texture and size of the lunar rock.
“I thought it wasn’t going to be smooth,” Richardson said. “I expected a raw rock right from the moon. I thought it’d be bigger.”
In addition to touching the lunar rock, the public can learn more about NASA’s plans for future space and lunar missions.
Lucie Johannes, materials research engineer with NASA, said the exhibit was meant to inform the public about the Constellation Program, NASA’s new fleet of manned space crafts.
NASA is designing the new vehicles to take astronauts back to the moon and eventually to Mars and other destinations in the solar system.
Johannes said the traveling exhibit began its tour in Hutchinson at the Kansas Cosmosphere and would make several stops in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma before heading back to Houston.
Johannes said NASA engineers from Houston took turns traveling with the exhibit on different tours.
“It’s a volunteer thing,” Johannes said, “and I have family in Kansas, so I decided to come up here and freeze my toes off.”
Russ Engel, engineering alumnus, and his family drove from Overland Park to see the moon rock.
Although he said it was informative, Engel was surprised by the size of the exhibit.
“It’s interesting,” Engel said. “It’s a lot smaller than I was expecting. But there’s a lot of new information here.”
Jill Hummels, public relations director for the School of Engineering, said the exhibit showcased how NASA’s work benefited society as a whole.
“I think it shows people that there are a lot of worthwhile activities that require planning, imagination and analysis,” Hummels said.
“We’re happy to have everyone come out and take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The mobile exhibit is finishing up a two-day stop in the parking lot directly East of Eaton Hall. The exhibit is open today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
— — Edited by Susan Melgren
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