Humans and Robots on Other Worlds

In the 1960s, five Lunar Orbiter missions successfully imaged 99 percent of the Moon’s surface. These missions paved the way for crewed landings on the Moon during the Apollo missions. Using the Lunar Orbiter and Apollo Lunar Module spacecraft as milestone touchpoints, this program will explore will how humans and robots work together to explore the Moon and planets. Join shuttle astronaut Robert Curbeam, cybernetics engineer and robotics technologist Håvard Grip, and space historian Valerie Neal as they discuss the importance of human and robotic exploration and how they work together to increase our knowledge of our Solar System.  

Håvard Grip is a principal engineer and robotics technologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He was the chief pilot for NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, leading the development of its Aerodynamics & Flight Control System and guiding the first powered flight on another planet. His work focuses on advancing autonomous flight and robotic systems that expand the reach of human exploration. 

Robert Curbeam is a NASA astronaut who flew on three Space Shuttle missions and holds the record for most spacewalks during a single spaceflight (four spacewalks on STS-116). Before becoming an astronaut, he served as a pilot in the U.S. Navy.

Valerie Neal is a curator emerita in the Space History Department at the National Air and Space Museum. Before her retirement she was responsible for  the Museum's human spaceflight artifact collections from the Space Shuttle era and International Space Station.

Event Schedule

7 pm: After-hours access to some of the Museum's exhibitions
8 pm: Panel discussion in the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater
9 pm: Pop-up stargazing outside the Independence Avenue exit (weather permitting)

This program will be presented in-person at the National Air and Space Museum in DC and will be streamed live on the Museum's YouTube channel. 

ASL interpretation will be provided for the in-person event. ASL interpretation and live captioning will be provided on YouTube. If you require another access service to fully participate or have any questions about accessibility, please contact NASMPublicLectures@si.edu. To ensure the best experience, please try to contact us at your soonest convenience.

About the 2026 Exploring Space Lecture Series: "Milestones of Exploration"

As the National Air and Space Museum celebrates the 50th anniversary of our location on the National Mall and the Milestones of Flight exhibition that welcomes visitors into the building, this year’s Exploring Space Lecture Series will explore four stories about the iconic artifacts on display. In the “Milestones of Exploration” series, guest speakers will examine the legacies of historic human and robotic missions – including missions to the Moon, Mars, Venus, and beyond — while looking forward to what comes next.