Kidsburgh: Astrobotic's Moonshot Museum opens on North Side
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Did you know the first American spacecraft to go to the moon in 50 years is being constructed right here in Pittsburgh?
We can all watch it happen at the new Moonshot Museum on the North Side. It's a window to "out of this world" – a lunar lander that will be on the moon in just a few months.
It's the star attraction at Astrobotic's new Moonshot Museum on the North Side.
Sam Moore, executive director of the Moonshot Museum, says, "This Peregrine will be the first company to land on the moon from Astrobotic, and it's powered here in Pittsburgh. So Pittsburgh is really going to make history."
The museum is located at the North Side headquarters for Astrobotic where 200 people now work.
The spacecraft is being built in what's called a "clean room" with highly filtered air and the scientists' bodies mostly covered.
"They want to make sure that hairs aren't interfering with scientific instruments, that bodily fluids like sweat aren't getting places they shouldn't be," Moore explains. "Then you'll also notice that they have wires on their wrists that are clipped to the spacecraft when they work on it, and that's to make sure they're grounding themselves and not passing along any static charge from themselves to the spacecraft."
The lunar lander they're building is actually going to be going to the moon in the beginning of 2023, heading up on a rocket much like a small replica one from Cape Canaveral in Florida. We'll all be able to watch it from mission control right here at Astrobotic and the Moonshot Museum.
This is the first museum in the world focused on career readiness for space, not just scientists but also jobs in art, design, writing, policy and more.
North Sider Bill Duff, one of the first visitors to the museum, said, "I didn't even know that this industry was here in Pittsburgh, so finding out about it and the opportunity for kids to come down and learn – it's a great new addition to Pittsburgh."
Amy Lindsey brought her young son, Levi, who's obsessed with space. He's already trying out the hands-on exhibits where you can learn about what goes into building a spacecraft, what the moon's surface is like and about actual people working in the space industry.
Lindsey said, "I think this is absolutely amazing because he gets to see science that nobody, literally nobody, gets to see. It's so inspiring. He'll get to see hands-on what's happening and hopefully that'll encourage what happens in the next 20 years of his own life."
Levi may only be 4, but the Moonshot Museum hopes to inspire little Pittsburghers to grow up to be the problem solvers of tomorrow by giving them an up close look at history in the making.
Moore said, "We are going back on the moon, and there will be people on the moon again before the end of the decade, including the first woman and first person of color."
People can also write a letter that will go into space when it is scanned and put in an SD card and put on Astrobotic's lunar lander.
The Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. It's $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 3 to 17.
For more info go to moonshotmuseum.org. For more on things to do with kids and families, go to kidsburgh.org.
