The Lompoc Public Library partnered with NASA to host a special pre-launch event for two upcoming missions hitching a ride into space on a Falcon 9 rocket.
The event featured engaging presentations by NASA staff, activities for children, and mission pins, posters and stickers.
"This event was important tonight because it's really all about inspiring that next generation of kids," said Payton Wolff, NASA Launch Services Program digital producer. "We're so excited about it. We get to do this every day of our lives, but we also are really excited about that next generation coming up."
One of the two missions is called SPHEREx, where a NASA telescope will be deployed in a polar orbit to conduct a large-scale survey of key ingredients for life in the Milky Way Galaxy, as well as map the entire night sky.
The other mission, the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere mission, or PUNCH for short, aims to send four small satellites into space to study the sun's solar wind using 3D images. It will also be in a polar orbit.
The two missions are scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Friday, Feb. 28.
