Past Events

Exploring Space Lectures

Hear about recent innovative missions and take a look back at the history of space exploration with distinguished lecturers and experts on the forefront of space science and history. The Exploring Space Lecture series runs annually, from March to June. The 2025 series will explore planetary oceans:

Life as we know it requires access to water, usually liquid water, and Earth is not the only place in our solar system where we can find this resource. In this year’s Exploring Space Lecture Series, we will explore the distribution of liquid oceans in our solar system, past and present; consider the origins of Earth’s oceans and learn about what happened to Mars’ oceans; question whether Earth’s twin, Venus, could have ever been cool enough to support oceans; and examine why the outer solar system is dominated by moons with salty, underground oceans. 

This lecture series is made possible by the generous support of Aerojet Rocketdyne, An L3Harris Technologies Company and United Launch Alliance. 

STEREO Solar Image

Lecture

Forecasting Space Weather

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

Dr. Tom Bogdan, Director of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, will provide an overview of how space weather can affect our advanced technologies-based global economy. 

Peter Smith

Lecture

Phoenix's Arctic Adventure

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

Learn what Phoenix taught us about water, climate cycles, and habitability on Mars as we travel with Peter Smith to a polar summer where the sun never sets.

Lecture

Cassini to Saturn: The Journey and the Legacy

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

In this Exploring Space Lecture, Carolyn Porco will discuss what we learned from the Cassini orbiter and what its final legacy is likely to be. Free tickets are required. 

Farouk El-Baz

Lecture

Apollo Legacy

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

In this lecture, Farouk El-Baz will describe his experiences as an eyewitness to the management, planning, and implementation of the Apollo program. Tickets are free but required.

Sedna

Lecture

Pluto, Eris, and the Dwarf Planets of the Outer Solar System

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

The 2007 Exploring Space Lectures, Journey Through the Outer Solar System, will feature four world-class scholars discussing current missions to the distant realm of the gas giants, the icy Kuiper Belt, and beyond.

David Levy

Lecture

Why is Astronomy so Popular?

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

Well-known interpreter of astronomy and sky lore, David H. Levy, will discuss  how and why astronomy captures the imaginations of so many people. 

Charles L. Bennett

Lecture

Big Bang for the Buck: Cosmology from WMAP

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

Charles L. Bennett is the Alumni Centennial Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Solar Activity and Earthly Response

Lecture

Solar Science at Skylab's Launch

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
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In this lecture Karl Hufbauer will discuss how the Skylab project enabled solar scientists to partner with NASA to collect these valuable data.

Lecture

Juno: Mission to Jupiter

National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC

In this Exploring Space lecture, Scott Bolton will discuss the Juno orbiter's mission to understand the orgin and evolution of Jupiter. Free tickets are required.