When the Moon Calls (Like at SpaceCom)

The Moon may lack gravity in comparison with Earth, but it was still a show-stopping draw for attendees at the annual SpaceCom conference and expo at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. For two days, from Nov. 20-21, industry and government giants gathered to network, collaborate and discuss the path forward to open up the cosmos.

NASA brought an array of attractions into its behemoth exhibit space, ranging from the Z2 spacesuit and lunar lander mock-up with lunar crane to astromaterials, including a Mars rock, and three generations of docking rings that have enabled collaboration in space with other countries and enterprises. The Driven to Explore mobile exhibit also made an appearance, enticing more than 400 to walk through and experience life aboard the International Space Station and the important research being conducted around the clock. Replicas of the Space Launch System and Orion, one with a miniaturized crew to show the cabin layout, offered visitors a glimpse at what the future will look like when Artemis takes the first woman and next man to the Moon. Overhead, of course, was an oversized, glowing Moon—one that beckoned people to explore NASA further.

Explore more images from the event, below.