Portland Ore. – On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy set the national goal of performing a crewed lunar landing and subsequent return to Earth by the end of the decade. On July 20, 1969, that goal became a reality when the Apollo 11 mission successfully took humans to the moon and back. 

During the month of July, The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission to commemorate one of the greatest engineering feats in history. Museum guests can learn about the science that took humans to the moon, share where they were when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the lunar surface and attend events celebrating the mission. 

There’s something for everyone at OMSI in July: movies, events, science demos, laser shows, stomp rockets and much more. 

Daily: Apollo 11: First Steps Edition 
Crafted from a newly-discovered trove of never-before-seen 70mm archive footage and more than 11,000 hours of uncatalogued audio recordings and made exclusively for science centers and museum theaters, Apollo 11: First Steps Edition, puts audiences at the center of NASA’s historic lunar landing. 

Daily: Planetarium shows 
Learn about the interesting stories of the constellations and others the Kendall Planetarium. It is not just stars everyone can see in the night sky—planets, constellations, zodiac, shooting stars and satellites are all there if you know when and where to look. Navigate by the stars and discover how you can become a backyard astronomer. 

July 10: Reel Science: The Right Stuff
Watch and learn at The Empirical Theater as OMSI brings the science of your favorite movies to life on the big screen. This month’s lecture is by Karel Schrijver, solar and stellar physicist, and former astrophysicist at Lockheed Martin, and Principal Investigator for NASA's TRACE and SDO/AIA Sun-viewing Missions. She’ll unravel the interesting story about sun-earth connections and how important the sun is for astronomy because of its proximity to our little blue planet.

July 13: Meet a Scientist – Space edition!
Meet a Scientist features local scientists who share their research and knowledge through hands-on activities and conversation. This month we’re meeting with scientists, who are working on projects and research related to space:
•    Compare light from a telescope to a transient database to see from which cosmic object it originated.
•    Explore what satellites can tell us about the ocean and its tides.
•    Viruses can live in extreme places –can they live in outer space?
•    Learn how scientist use satellites in space to learn about our oceans.
•    Explore the oceans from space, and learn about the microscopic creatures that help regulate our climate.
•    Using clues from incomplete data from satellites, become a sea ice scientist and map the Arctic Ocean.

July 16: Rocket Day - The Apollo 11 mission launched its way into history on this day at 6:32 PDT. Come join us for a day full of fun space-themed activities. You can also watch the Apollo 11 mission live as it is re-broadcast via NASA TV. See below for a list of fun events:
•    Rocket Launches: With generous support from Boeing, guests can celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's launch with a historic launch of their own. Make sure to wear stompin' shoes! 
•    Hide and Seek Moon: How far away is the moon? What tools do scientists use to study dark and far away objects? Take a look yourself with this early childhood activity!
•    Observe the Sun: What is the sun? How do scientists safely look at our star? See the tools NASA scientists use to study the center of our solar system.
•    Pocket Solar System: How big is solar system? What types of objects can we find there? Create your own pocket solar system and discover the scale of the solar system!
•    Space Guess Quest: Humans explore a wide variety of objects in space. Use visual clues to identify the different types of objects (including human-made spacecraft)!

July 18: Reel Eats: Spaceballs
Reel Eats taps into the senses using both cinema and cuisine. Each curated bite is tucked away in different numbered boxes matching key moments in the film, enhancing the narrative in electrifying ways. Come join us for this quarterly film series and experience the silver screen like never before.

July 20: Space Day - This is the day Apollo 11 made history when humans first set foot on the Moon. Join OMSI for a day packed full of space science including: constellation alignment, NASA space technology, moon maps, planetarium shows and more.

July 20: Star Party - Lunar Viewing: Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Celebration
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 Moon Landing with a Lunar Viewing Party! On Saturday, July 20, join OMSI, Rose City Astronomers and Vancouver Sidewalk Astronomers at Rooster Rock State Park and Stub Stewart State Park for a special edition Star Party starting at 9 p.m.

July 24: Space Trivia Night
Take a giant leap and compete for out-of-this-world prizes in a cosmic competition of history, pop culture, and space science knowledge.

July 31: OMSI After Dark: Astronomy
A night at the museum for the 21-and-over crowd filled with food, drink, and science fun!
Shoot off water rockets, concoct chemical creations, discover the mind-boggling hugeness of the cosmos and our place in it at the intergalactic OMSI After Dark.

About OMSI
Founded in 1944, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is one of the nation’s leading science museums, a world-class tourist attraction, and an award-winning educational resource for the kid in each of us. OMSI operates the largest museum-based outdoor science education program in the country and provides traveling and community outreach programs that bring science learning opportunities to schools and community organizations in nearly every county in Oregon. OMSI is located at 1945 SE Water Avenue, Portland, OR 97214. For general information, call 503.797.4000 or visit omsi.edu.