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National Space Day, an out of this world celebration

Celebrated on first Friday in May

NASA launches a rocket on its Artemis I moon mission. (Jacob Langston, Copyright 2022 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

ORLANDO, Fla. – How lucky are we to live Central Florida where rocket launches happen as often as Florida man makes news?

National Space Day, an out-of-this-world celebration is this week and is always celebrated on the first Friday in May.

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This national holiday is to “promote math, science, technology, and engineering education in young people. The hope is to inspire them to pursue a career in science, especially a career in space-related jobs,” according to the National Day Calendar website.

With the Kennedy Space Center and the Space Coast only a short drive away – you can easily get lost in space.

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NASA has a webpage where you can learn about careers at the space agency, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics offers a “universe of options” on its page, as well.

But hey – why limit yourself to one day? News 6 has you covered with these upcoming space events in Central Florida:

  • Wednesday, May 3: Meet astronaut Sam Gemar at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex May 3-6 during the daily Astronaut Encounter.
  • Thursday, May 4: SpaceX will attempt to launch another batch of Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station with a Falcon 9 rocket at 3:31 a.m.
  • Friday, May 5: The May full moon, also known as the Flower Moon, will appear opposite the Sun in Earth-based longitude at 1:34 p.m., according to NASA. The moon will appear full for three days around this time, from early Thursday morning through early Sunday morning.
  • Saturday, May 6: Two veteran astronauts will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on Saturday at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Roy Bridges and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) will be inducted during a ceremony “beneath the awe-inspiring space shuttle Atlantis,” according to a news release.
  • Sunday, May 6: Meet astronaut Julie Payette at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex May 7-9 during the daily Astronaut Encounter.

Use the form below to sign up for the ClickOrlando.com space newsletter, sent every Wednesday afternoon.