A new exhibit at Space Center Houston highlights how NASA continues to innovate to overcome obstacles and benefit humanity. Space Center Houston’s new Mission: Control the Spread exhibit tells the story behind NASA innovations to address COVID-19, what people can do to slow the spread of the coronavirus and what NASA does to keep astronauts safe.
“It’s our responsibility as a science center to inform the public about what we can do to control the spread of the coronavirus,” said William T. Harris, president and CEO of Space Center Houston. “We’re empowering people to protect themselves, and you get to see real-world NASA solutions like an oxygen helmet used to help patients’ breathe. Through this exhibit, we believe people will gain a better understanding about how we can mitigate the impacts of the virus. It’s also an opportunity to learn about the careers in the space program working to further humanity.”
NASA innovation has helped during other times of crisis dating back to the Ebola virus with AMBUstat, a device used to clean small spaces like ambulances. It continues to develop cutting-edge technology and provide innovative solutions for people on Earth. NASA scientists and engineers around the country continue to track the pandemic. Working together, NASA and its international partners, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), are tracking the coronavirus through satellites orbiting the Earth; NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab designed a PULSE pendent that alerts a person not touch their face; and supercomputers at NASA Ames Research Center are mimicking the behavior of the virus molecules to understand how it infects cells.
On display at Space Center Houston through Dec. 31, 2020, Mission: Control the Spread gives guests an up-close look at recent NASA innovations including the PULSE pendent, reusable N-95 face masks, and an oxygen helmet while learning how NASA keeps astronauts healthy, what NASA does to prevent contamination on the International Space Station and understand how, together, people can control the spread of the virus.
To provide the latest information about NASA innovations and COVID-19, this exhibit will be updated as science and research about the coronavirus continues to evolve and NASA’s future missions forge new innovations. Space Center Houston also has plans to make this exhibit accessible to museums around the country, allowing the nonprofit to continue the spread of public information.
In accord with Center for Disease Control guidelines, the nonprofit has new protocols in place including social distancing practices; special hours for vulnerable populations from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesdays; a new touchless entry with self-scan turnstiles; increased hand sanitizer stations; Plexiglass shields at ticket counters; enhanced daily cleaning; and a deep sanitize to all surfaces is conducted center-wide nightly.
For timed admission tickets to Space Center Houston, visit spacecenter.org. All Space Center Houston experiences are subject to change while the center continues to monitor state and local health and safety guidelines for reopening.
