Later this month, the Museum will feature National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) administrator and shuttle astronaut Kathryn Sullivan at its annual John H. Glenn Lecture in Space History. She was also a featured astronaut in one of the most evocative visual experiences of 1985, the first IMAX movie filmed in space, "The Dream is Alive!" Over the course of three shuttle missions, crews filmed their experiences living and working in a microgravity environment, which filmmakers on the ground carefully scripted to not waste a single frame of their limited supply of film. Join curator Jennifer Levasseur as she discusses the IMAX camera on display, how astronauts became cinematographers, and how filmmakers on the ground created the first of many stunning large-screen movies that brought spaceflight back to Earth.

Meet at the Museum "Great Seal", in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall on the first floor.

About the Ask an Expert lecture series: Every Wednesday at noon in the National Mall Building, a Museum staff member talks to the public about the history, collection, or personalities related to a specific artifact or exhibition in the Museum.

  • Shuttle IMAX Camera
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    One of two IMAX cameras flown aboard the space shuttle that were donated to the Museum on April 4, 2012. Between 1984 and 1998, the 70mm cameras accompanied astronauts on 17 space shuttle missions offering stunning views of Earth from space and offered an up-close look at what it is like to live and work in a weightless environment.

    Image Credit: NASA/Paul E. Alers

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  • Shuttle IMAX Camera

How to attend

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

6th St. and Independence Ave SW. Washington, DC 20560