Event

Come and Celebrate LightSail!

The Smithsonian's FUTURES exhibit showcases nearly 150 remarkable objects they're calling "artifacts of the future," including a scale model of The Planetary Society's very own LightSail 2!

While the actual spacecraft continues to fly high above the Earth demonstrating "flight by light," our down-to-Earth 1/16 scale model of LightSail 2 has been at the Smithsonian introducing visitors to the possibility of space exploration using only the power of the sun.

Planetary Society CEO Bill Nye and staff are heading to Washington, D.C. before the FUTURES exhibit closes this summer. You are invited to join us on Saturday, June 25 at the LightSail 2 exhibit at the Smithsonian's Arts + Industries Building to celebrate our amazing solar sail and hear remarks from our CEO.

We will gather at 6:30 pm in front of the Professor Joseph Henry statue, outside the north entrance to the Castle. You'll check in with our staff and receive your name badge, then walk with us as a group to the Arts + Industries Building and the LightSail exhibit.

To celebrate the coming summer solstice, all of the Smithsonian museums will be open for extended hours until 11:00 pm that night. Even better, you can join Society staff and volunteers as they head to the Astronomy Festival on the National Mall which also goes until 11:00 pm. On the Mall, be sure and stop by the Societys booth and say hello. And, if you're wearing your member tee or pin or have your membership card, we'll share some additional swag for you.

Space is limited for the group visit of the FUTURES LightSail 2 display, so get your tickets early. The deadline to RSVP is Monday, June 20.

We are excited about this event, one of our first since the pandemic began. We do hope you will join us, and we look forward to seeing you.

Ad astra!