Ask an astronaut a question at CBC in Pasco

Tri-City residents can ask an astronaut a question Sept. 3 at one of three appearances by astronaut and Renaissance man Story Musgrave at Columbia Basin College.

Musgrave, who visited the Tri-Cities in 2010, has been a supporter of the college’s planetarium. He’ll also be supporting efforts to start a children’s museum on this visit, as the college and Hands In for Hands On, or HiHo, bring him to CBC.

Musgrave is best known as an astronaut, spending more than 30 years with NASA through 1997. The first of his trips into outer space took place on the maiden voyage of Space Shuttle Challenger. During the flight, he made history’s first space walk off of the shuttle.

His fifth mission was on the shuttle Endeavor and he was the lead space walker on the work to repair the damaged Hubble Space Telescope.

He’s also been a physician, consultant to Disney’s Imagineering group, pilot and decorated Marine.

His curiosity has led him to reinvent himself 10 times over his 81 years, including earning degrees in math, computers, chemistry, physiology, literature and psychology, plus a doctor of medicine.

At 10 a.m. Sept. 3 at the CBC Theatre on the Pasco campus, he’ll talk about his life from “farm kid to rocket man.” There is no cost.

At 12:30 p.m., he’ll be at the CBC Planetarium for “Ask an Astronaut.” He’ll speak about the importance of curiosity and take questions. Questions may be emailed in advance to hihotricities@charter.net.

The planetarium seats just 96 people and doors will open at 11:30 a.m. There is no cost.

A reception is planned at 3 p.m. with the theme of “A View from Space with Story Musgrave.” Cost is $25 and those planning to attend should email Alissa Watkins at awatkins@columbiabasin.edu. The reception will be downstairs in the HUB on the CBC campus in Pasco.

Sept. 3 also will be the last day at CBC for A View from Space, a traveling exhibit developed by the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry in Portland.

HiHo arranged to bring the exhibit to the region as part of a larger effort to gauge interest for similar offerings, including a full-blown children’s museum with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math.

There will be no charge for the exhibit on the last day, although donations are encouraged. It is in the classrooms outside the Bechtel National Planetarium.

Those at CBC also can see the Planetarium show The Little Star that Could at 2 p.m. and Dynamic Earth at 3 p.m. Ticket prices vary by age and whether viewers plan to see one or both shows.

This story was originally published August 31, 2016 at 7:09 PM with the headline "Ask an astronaut a question at CBC in Pasco."