NASA's Johnson Space Center displayed its upcoming space exploration plans at Houston's Japan Festival on September 12-13, engaging over 3,000 visitors at the event held at Hermann Park.
Johnson's booth showcased the Artemis III mission, its crew, and plans for a Moon Base. Displays included models of NASA's Orion spacecraft and the International Space Station, along with interactive exhibits featuring space food and real astronaut equipment for visitors to try on.
"It was amazing to see students as early as high school so passionate about NASA and asking questions on how to prepare for a NASA career," said Brendan King, a software engineer for Johnson's Flight Dynamics Division.
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) displayed its own exhibits next to NASA's booth, including a model of the HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft, space food, and images of its pressurized rover designed for lunar exploration. JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide signed autographs and posed for pictures with festival attendees.
The proximity of the booths reflected the partnership between NASA and JAXA, which includes the Kibo laboratory aboard the International Space Station, Japan's signing of the Artemis Accords, and development of lunar surface hardware. Johnson Space Center has supported the Japan Festival as an exhibitor for the past four years.