2004 NEWS RELEASES



NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration



John C. Stennis Space Center


(228) 688-3341 Aug. 31, 2004  
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000 STS-04-082   

NASA Public Affairs Office FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (228) 688-3341



NASA VISITOR CENTER ANNOUNCES FALL HOURS



HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. &mdash; StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA 
Stennis Space Center (SSC) near Bay St. Louis, begins its fall/winter 
hours on Labor Day, Sept. 6, 2004. StenniSphere&rsquo;s public tours 
will run continually from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday, 
and will be closed on Sundays. The center is also closed on major 
holidays.

<pre> Throughout the fall, StenniSphere will offer activities and 
events for the whole family: * The celebration of the 35th 
anniversary of Apollo 11 continues with an exhibit that </pre> 

transports visitors back in time to trace the history of the Apollo 
program and explains SSC&rsquo;s important role in sending Americans 
to the Moon. Visitors can see a Moon Tree planted in honor of the 
anniversary. &ldquo;Moon Trees&rdquo; are descended from seeds 
carried to the Moon and back by Apollo 14 astronaut and longtime 
Mississippi Gulf Coast resident Stuart Roosa.
* School field trips to StenniSphere will blast off with new 
interactive activities and special presentations to complement 
classroom curriculum. Book a field trip by calling 1-800-237-1821 or 
book online at /centers/ssc/public/visitors and click on the

<pre> Book a Tour link. * On Saturday, Sept. 11, Astro Camp will 
celebrate Grandparents&rsquo; Day with a special </pre> 

mission, &ldquo;Rocketry 101,&rdquo; just for grandparents and their 
grandchildren. Together, grandparents and their grandchildren will 
team up to build and launch a rocket. Cost is $50 for each 
grandchild/grandparent team. Call 1-800-237-1821 or 228-688-2370 to 
register.
* On Saturday, Oct. 16, Astro Campers will take a &ldquo;Mission to 
Mars&rdquo; as they study the Red Planet, and the principles of 
propulsion that will take rockets there in the future. Cost is $50 
per camper. Call 1-800-237-1821 or 228-688-2370 to register. * On 
Friday, Nov. 25, and Saturday, Nov. 26, free Astro Camp activities 
for all visitors will take place throughout StenniSphere all day. * 
In late 2004, look for StenniSphere&rsquo;s new exhibit, Return to 
Flight. The exhibit will capture the excitement as NASA prepares to 
return the Space Shuttle to flight. The Space Shuttle Discovery is 
scheduled to carry a crew of seven on Mission STS-114, no earlier 
than March 2005. StenniSphere&rsquo;s exhibit will include one of the 
Space Shuttle Main Engines, which are all test-fired and proven 
flight-worthy for Space Shuttle missions.



Stennis Space Center is America's largest rocket test complex. Free 
tours begin at the Launch Pad, located at the Hancock County Welcome 
Center, Exit 2, I-10. StenniSphere offers fun, educational, 
interactive exhibits, presentations and scientific demonstrations, 
the Space Odyssey gift shop and the RocKeTeria, a 1960s-style diner. 
For more information, call (228) 688-2370 or 1-800- 237-1821 or visit 
/centers/ssc/public/visitors.



-END-



News releases provided by NASA's Stennis Space Center are available at 
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ssc/news/newsreleases/2004. For more 
information, call the NASA Public Affairs Office at Stennis at 
1-800-237-1821 in Mississippi and Louisiana only, or (228) 688-3341.

	
-end-