By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff
Sandpoint’s new aerospace education nonprofit, Spacepoint, will host another in its series of events at the Panida Theater, with a screening Saturday, June 24 of the Marvel blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy — but not before an exciting and informative presentation from University of Idaho Professor Matthew Hedman on NASA’s Europa Clipper mission to Jupiter and the planet’s Galilean moon Europa.
Doors open at 5 p.m., with Hedman’s presentation at 6 p.m., followed by the film screening at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for kids and $15 for adults.
The Europa Clipper will launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla., in October 2024. Photo courtesy NASA.
The Clipper’s goal is to determine if Europa is habitable. The moon is covered in ice, but scientists are all but certain it hosts a saltwater ocean beneath the surface. The Clipper will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Oct. 6, 2024 from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
According to organizers, for this event only, a number of students will be identified for a free trip to witness the Europa blast off in person. And, as with all Spacepoint events coinciding with the seasonal equinox and solstice, students ages 6-17 will compete to qualify for Kennedy Space Camp tickets.
In April, Spacepoint launched its inaugural event with a screening of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story at the Panida, including a presentation from U of I Professor Jason Barnes, who is lead principal investigator on the multi-billion-dollar NASA Dragonfly mission to the moon of Titan orbiting Saturn.
Hedman is an associate professor in the office of engineering and physics, with specialties in astronomy and planetary science, orbital dynamics, planetary rings and infrared spectroscopy.
Spacepoint’s mission is to connect Sandpoint residents — with an emphasis on young people — to specialists and topics related to the space industry, and has as its founding goal to “drive and invest in education, engagement, experience and participation in the space exploration industry.”
The organization has hosted a rocketry competition and — in an especially exciting project — is beginning the buildout of an observatory at the U of I Sandpoint Organic Agricultural Center at the base of Schweitzer Mountain on North Boyer Avenue.
“Our great partnership with UI continues,” Spacepoint organizer Kyle Averill told the Reader in an email. “We are targeting late summer for implementation and we’ll likely have a star party to support the launch. More to follow!”
For tickets and more information, go to spacepoint.org/event-details-registration/summer-solstice-sci-fi-series.
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