Come hear about a cockroach on the Moon, the building of garages for the Shuttle Orbiters, and some of the favorite foods of the astronauts as the museum celebrates cultural and career diversity for Black History Month.

The program will feature…

• NASA legend Ernie Reyes, the fateful Apollo 1 project manager and manned spaceflight leader.
• William “Bill” Gary, a construction manager of buildings at Kennedy Space Center.
• Delores Abraham, who managed the astronauts’ quarters and family requests during the Space Shuttle era.

We are honored to have them share their unique perspective about NASA. They all helped break down the racial barriers in the government agency, and became key employees, setting the example for future generations of NASA workers.

In addition…

• 10 am – noon: 97 year old Ike Rigel, legendary NASA launch director and a World War II veteran, will be at the museum to sign his autobiography, “Ike.”
• Many former space workers will be on hand to explain the artifacts and share their personal stories about working their way up from one job to a position that became their expertise.
• Videos highlighting minority astronauts and workers will be shown throughout the day.

About our guest speakers…

• Ernie Reyes served as a NASA employee for 36 years and was one of the first Hispanics in management. During this time he played key roles in Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Viking, Space Shuttle and Spacelab programs. And yes, he has a story about a cockroach on the Apollo 12 moon mission! Appearing on dozens of national and international Apollo documentaries, Ernie was a consultant for the HBO series “From Earth to the Moon.”
• Bill Gary retired in 2008 after a 40-year career in the space industry. One of the first African-Americans hired, Gary became an expert in “Construction of Facilities Budgeting”. He was a manager on many important projects at Kennedy Space Center, from the Vehicle Assembly Building for the Apollo program to the Orbiter Processing Facility for the Space Shuttle. He has received numerous awards including the prestigious Space Coast Hall of Fame Public Service award. Bill has been involved in the Space Coast community for decades, including President of the Harry T. & Harriett Moore Culture Center in nearby Mims, FL.
• Delores Abraham was hired by NASA in 1972, and served 40 years, starting as a clerk typist, moving to executive secretary in administration, procurement specialists and finally as the Astronaut Crew Quarters (ACQ) manager until her retirement in 2011. She has some amazing stories about astronauts and accommodating their families during launches and landings.

More…

• Hours:  10 am to 5 pm then Stargazing starting at twilight
• Cost:  10 am to 5 pm – Normal museum admission.   Evening Stargazing: Free
• Museum Location & Contact:  See Below