AerospaceFest

September 20th, 2025, 10:30am-4pm.

Poster for aerospacefest 2025 at McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center featuring a rocket, planets, stars, galaxy, airplane, and photos of people engaging in space-related activities.

This event is FREE to the public and geared towards science enthusiasts, stargazers, explorers, and learners of all ages! 

AerospaceFest is the Discovery Center’s annual celebration of all things STEM and highlights the exciting ways local companies, universities, non-profits, and other organizations are contributing to science and education. These organizations will be spread around the Discovery Center’s grounds and exhibit halls, sharing their work with visitors through demonstrations, hands-on activities, and discussions.

The event also includes the premiere of a new planetarium show, a talk from Keynote Speaker, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, and the presentation of the Alex Higgins Memorial Space Camp Scholarship to award winners. Plus, a full line-up of fun on the main stage!

A young girl dressed as an astronaut and a person in a NASA astronaut costume pose in front of a space shuttle display at a museum. The girl is giving a thumbs up while holding her helmet, and the person in the costume is kneeling and pointing. There is a cartoon astronaut cutout with a speech bubble nearby.

About Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Astronaut

Dorothy “Dottie” Metcalf-Lindenburger, the daughter of two teachers with a love of the space program, has “The Right Stuff.” As a NASA astronaut who flew with the crew of STS-131 to the International Space Station, Ms. Metcalf-Lindenburger has risen to heights that make those of the Mile High City of Denver, in which she grew up, pale by comparison. It may have been inevitable that Ms. Metcalf-Lindenburger would follow in her parents’ footsteps to become a high school earth science and astronomy teacher – and inevitable, too, that she would copy them by sharing her love of the space program with her students.

As Ms. Metcalf-Lindenburger writes, while she found photos from the Hubble Space Telescope “fascinating,” it was her fascination that bred a similar fascination about spaceflight in her students. And, it was one of her students who, in raising the question “How do astronauts go to the bathroom in space?”, led Ms. Metcalf-Lindenburger to a NASA Website that not only provided her the answer but also an application to become an educator astronaut.

As an earth science and astronomy teacher, Ms. Metcalf-Lindenburger seemed a natural fit for the astronaut program – she had earned her bachelor’s degree in geology from Whitman College, Walla Walla, Washington, and her teaching certificate from Central Washington University, Ellensburg – but it was her enthusiasm and eagerness for spaceflight, that “Right Stuff” nurtured in her by two teachers, her parents, that made her stand out among all other candidates to win her a much-coveted place in the astronaut program.

About Our Keynote Speaker:

About The Keynote Speaker

Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger grew up along the Front Range of Colorado. She graduated from Fort Collins High School, where she ran on two state championship cross-country teams and placed second as a Science Olympiad team member.   

A scholar athlete, she ran cross-country and track and earned her B.A. in Geology from Whitman College. She went on to get a teaching certification from Central Washington University, and she taught earth science and astronomy for five years at Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver, WA. In addition to teaching, she coached cross country and Science Olympiad.   

In June of 2004, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) selected her to join the Astronaut Corps. After several years of training, she flew as a mission specialist on the STS-131 crew, an International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission. Dottie served as Mission Specialist 2 (also known as the flight engineer), a robotic arm operator, the Intra-vehicular crew member (the inside coordinator of the spacewalks), and a transfer crew member (helping move six tons of hardware and equipment). The mission lasted fifteen days.   

During June of 2012, Dottie commanded the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operation (NEEMO) in the Aquarius Reef Habitat off the Florida coast. The 16th underwater mission sought to develop techniques for working at an asteroid, while operating under a 100-second time delay. 

In June of 2014, Dottie retired from the Astronaut Corps and returned to the Pacific Northwest with her family. She earned her M.S. in applied geology at the University of Washington and worked as a geologist for Geosyntec Consultants. In 2023. Dottie founded her own business, Dottie ML, LLC. She is a professional speaker, continuing to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education. She also volunteers as a board member for Challenger Learning Center, the Seattle Museum of Flight, and the Presidential Advisory Board for Whitman College. 

Premiering in the Planetarium

Each year at AerospaceFest, the Discovery Center premiers a new planetarium show for our visitors to see for free. The planetarium show runs at 11 AM, 12 PM, 1PM, & 3 PM. Free tickets can be claimed at the Discovery Center’s front desk upon check in.

Please plan to arrive at the planetarium theater 10 minutes prior to your show. No late seating is permitted.

Asteroid Mission Extreme

Show Description - “Asteroid: Mission Extreme” takes audiences on a journey 65 million years in the making to discover how asteroids are both a danger and an opportunity for those of us on planet Earth. The danger of course lies in the possibility of a cataclysmic collision; the opportunity is the crazy idea that asteroids could be stepping stones to other worlds — veritable way stations in space — allowing us to penetrate the deepest realms of the universe. The challenges are enormous, but the idea could ultimately save humankind.

Recommended for ages 6 and up

Run time: 25 minutes

Participants and Vendors

603 Brix

Hanover Balloon Team

New Hampshire Science Teachers’ Association

University of New Hampshire

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains

An older man standing next to a young girl in a park, with orange cones on the ground, and another girl in the background at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
A woman and a young girl looking at items on a table outdoors, with another person standing nearby, at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
A robot on a colorful mat, with two black chairs and a small wagon in the background outdoors on a sunny day at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
A smiling woman with a tattoo on her arm, wearing a black sleeveless top, a cap, and gloves, holding a small ferret on a blanket at an outdoor event at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
Group of people at a school event by a booth with NASA and Belmont High School banners, some seated and some standing, under a white tent.
A young boy at a table outdoors with his parents is engaging in an educational moment at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
A woman helps a young girl craft star-shaped bracelets at an outdoor event, with a boy sitting nearby. There is a sign that says "Make Your Own Star Bracelets."
Two men standing outdoors, smiling, with a mobile science classroom or educational vehicle in the background, and one holding a long white pole.
A woman and three children standing around a green table outdoors, engaged with papers and objects during daytime.
A man using a telescope outdoors during daytime with a young girl beside him.
Adults and children outdoors with bubbles around a table, engaging in a playful activity.
A man dressed in an astronaut costume waving and smiling outdoors, with a woman walking behind him.
Front section of a fighter jet aircraft with rescue markings, displayed indoors at a museum, with a colorful cardboard standee of a female astronaut next to an information table.
Indoor display featuring a large aircraft with a poster promoting the movie 'A Million Miles Away,' a table with promotional materials, a pair of boots, gloves, and books, and a person standing nearby.
A young woman stands behind a Girl Scouts information table with pamphlets and pink badges on a green tablecloth that says 'Ask me about Girl Scouts,' in front of a large U.S. Navy jet aircraft at an indoor aviation museum. The table also has a teddy
Three women in science-themed orange jackets posing in a science museum exhibit about space, with a display case containing a model spacecraft, a blue sandbox with toys, and a poster about women in STEM on the wall.
An astronaut in a white space suit standing in a doorway at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
Robotics team at an exhibition with a table displaying robot parts and tools, people watching and talking, a sign that says 'Observatory' in a room with space-themed decorations.
Two employees behind a curved wooden reception desk at a science museum, with scientific models, informational materials, and office supplies on the desk. Behind them is a large window and a science exhibit.
Two women employees at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.in orange shirts sitting and standing at a reception desk in a museum, with exhibits and visitors visible in the background.
Smiling woman with short dark hair and glasses standing on a balcony, making a peace sign in front of a window with green trees and buildings.
A person standing behind a table with a computer monitor showing an X-ray of a skull and a keyword chart related to photonic spectrum, set up in a room with photography and scientific equipment, possibly at an educational or science event.
A group of four people standing behind an Elbit Systems of America display booth at an event. The booth features various electronic devices, informational posters, and a yellow table cover with the company logo. The background includes banners with i
Two women in orange uniforms standing behind a reception desk at McAuliffe-Shepherd Discovery Center, with informational displays and decorations around them.
Children and adults at a science exhibit with colorful hoops and a pegboard display at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
Children and an adult pose with an astronaut-dressed person at a space museum exhibit at McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center.
A young girl is standing behind a large colorful tic-tac-toe-like game with red, white, and blue rings in the foreground, at an indoor event at the McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. Two men in matching bright yellow shirts in the background.
A young girl in an orange space suit and a man dressed as an astronaut pose in front of a fighter jet The girl holds a helmet and is giving a thumbs-up, while the astronaut crouches beside her, pointing at the camera.
Two women, McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center employees, wearing orange shirts standing on either side of a donation bin with a space helmet on top at an indoor exhibition, smiling at the camera.
Two women, McAulliffe-Shepard Discovery Center employees, wearing orange shirts and black pants, standing inside a building, smiling and posing for the camera.
Children and adults gather around a table, participating in a science activity. One boy in a blue shirt is examining something on the table, guided by an adult. Other children and adults observe or participate.
Children and young women playing in a sand table at an educational event, with posters of young scientists in the background.
A woman with a name tag is helping a young girl make a star-shaped bracelet using beads and string at a craft table. There is a sign that reads 'Make Your Own Star Bracelets' on the table.
A custom-built robot with a transparent body, large eyes, and a plush toy on top, in an indoor room with various equipment and chairs in the background.
Interior of the McAuley-Shepard Discovery Center with a large airplane in the foreground, a stage with musical performers, people walking up and down stairs, and exhibits related to aviation, including a NASA astronaut and a lunar module model.
Two women employees at the McAuley-Shepard Discovery Center, wearing orange shirts, assist children at a table with craft supplies in a public indoor space.
A woman in an orange jacket showing something on the wall to a group of people at a museum. There are two children, one in a stroller, and a man with a backpack. The background features large windows and framed pictures on the wall.
A young boy with a crutch shaking hands with an older man in a suit, with a woman standing nearby in an indoor setting with large windows and a digital sign in the background.
A man with white hair speaking into a microphone at a podium, with a woman standing beside him at the McAuley-Shepard Discovery Center
An employee of the McAuley-Shepard Discovery Center is speaking into a microphone at a podium during a presentation or event. People are nearby, and an audience is in front. The setting is indoors, with large windows showing green trees outside.