As the space shuttle flight schedule comes to an end, Utah’s former Astronaut and Senator, Jake Garn, is reflecting on his experiences aboard the space shuttle Discovery 25 years ago. Clark Planetarium is proud to host Senator Garn for a public presentation and discussion about his experiences as an astronaut followed by a screening of the newly released IMAX film Hubble 3D.
On Tuesday, April 13, 2010, Senator Garn will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his historic space flight aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Jake’s presentation will begin in Clark Planetarium ATK IMAX Theatre at 7 p.m. and will be followed immediately afterward by Hubble 3D.
“Jake Garn is a tireless and tremendously effective advocate for space science education. Jake has been an invaluable member of our Board of Directors since we opened seven years ago, and his perspective on the U.S. space program and its role in our society are both thought-provoking and definitely worth paying attention to,” says Seth Jarvis, Clark Planetarium’s director.
A Utah resident, Garn served in the U.S. Navy as a pilot and is a retired Brigadier General in the Utah Air National Guard. He has logged over 12,000 hours of flight time in a wide variety of jet aircraft. In November of 1984, Senator Garn was invited by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to fly as a payload specialist on flight 51-D of the space shuttle Discovery. During the seven-day mission he performed a variety of medical tests for NASA. Discovery Flight 51-D landed at Cape Canaveral on April 19, 1985 after orbiting the earth 109 times. In December of 1992, Senator Garn was the recipient of the National Aeronautics Association prestigious Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy.
Hubble 3D is the newest IMAX documentary and explores both the significance of the Hubble Space Telescope to astronomer’s understanding of the universe and the extraordinary work performed by shuttle astronauts to maintain and improve the orbiting telescope, regarded by most scientists as the most productive research instrument in the history of science. Narrated by three-time Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio, the film is a production of IMAX and Warner Bros. Pictures and was created in cooperation with NASA.
The event will take place from 7 – 9 p.m. and tickets are available at the window for $8 each or $9 on the planetarium’s website.
Clark Planetarium’s mission is to create and present stimulating educational programs that effectively share astronomy and space exploration information with Salt Lake County residents, Utah Students, educators and families, and visitors from around the country and the world.