Exhibit offers glimpse into life on space station

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - You wont be able to see the International Space Station in the sky for another few weeks - and even then it will pass overheard during daylight - but you can learn a lot more about it at an exhibit at the Indiana State Museum.

Destination Station has landed at the museum, depicting life on the space station and detailing the many scientific experiments conducted in outer space. It runs through June 29.

In conjunction with the exhibit, NASA has had its Driven to Explore mobile unit, which features a lunar touchstone, in town this week. On Friday the vehicle was to stop at the Indiana State Museum to mark International Space Station Day.

Its all part of a plan to increase NASAs exposure in places like Indianapolis, which do not have a significant NASA presence nearby, The Indianapolis Star reported (http://indy.st/1lCKsND ).

We want to make NASA more accessible, said Jenny Knotts, a NASA spokeswoman. We want to let them know were still in business, and we want to inspire the next generation.

NASA wanted to reach out to places here like Eli Lilly and Co. and Roche Diagnostics to talk about potential partnerships with experiments, Knotts said.

The Indiana State Museum leapt at the opportunity to teach their visitors more about the space station.

I find myself surprised that people dont know about what the space station is, what they do. Its really an orbiting science lab. Its really important we on Earth know what its function is, said Peggy Fisherkeller, the museums curator of geology who curated the exhibit.

Astronauts today strive to be more accessible, making frequent school visits to talk about the work they do. Earlier this week, Dr. Serena Aun, an Indianapolis native, visited the museum to highlight aspects of the exhibit.

Destination Station details some of the more than 500 experiments conducted on the space station in medicine, human biology, material science, biology, plant growth and animal life. The space station houses six astronauts at a time and has been home to ants, spiders, minnows and other animals.

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Exhibit offers glimpse into life on space station