NASA’s “Super Guppy” on display on Boeing Plaza.
EAA Photo by Dave Witty
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine October/November 2023 Digital Issue
OSHKOSH, WIS. – America’s legacy and future on the moon, unique aircraft, advanced aviation technologies, and a variety of presentations were among NASA’s highlights at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023, July 24-30, at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
NASA’s activities centered at its pavilion in Aviation Gateway Park, just northwest of the FAA control tower. Other exhibits and programs were showcased throughout the week at other locations as well.
“NASA – The Next Bold Step” looked at the Apollo and Artemis programs, from the first steps on the moon to the next steps on the moon. Hosted by former space shuttle commander Charlie Precourt, the program July 24 in Theater in the Woods, included NASA Associate Administrator Bob Cabana, Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke, and Gerry Griffin and Rick Weiss from the Apollo program, as well as Dr. John Blevins, Alex Kanelakos, and Dr. Ryan Watkins from the Artemis program.
NASA’s “Super Guppy” departing Wittman Regional Airport.
EAA Photo by Laurie Goossens
“Artemis Audience Astronauts” covered mission and science objectives, prelaunch preparation, crew training, and human research objectives in their preparation to go to the Moon and Mars during a presentation July 25 in Forum Pavilion 7.
NASA’s “Super Guppy” transport was parked on Boeing Plaza. This unique cargo airplane carries large spaceship parts from location to location. The airplane will also carry a full-size test article of the Orion space capsule.
“Preparing to Fly the X-59,” the quiet supersonic demonstrator aircraft, was a program July 26 in Forum Pavilion 8 that featured NASA research test pilot David “Nils” Larson. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst program, which seeks to open the future to commercial supersonic flight over land.
On July 27, “NASA Wicked Aeronautics Innovation” was featured. The innovation focuses on the Convergent Aeronautics Solutions project, which explores various opportunities for aviation transformations for the good of American society. These high-risk expeditions aim to illuminate paths to desirable futures enabled by aviation, as well as the future of flight itself.
