Thomas
WAPAKONETA — Former NASA astronaut and Ohio-native Dr. Don Thomas will be in Wapakoneta on Saturday, July 22, as part of the 2023 Summer Moon Festival. Thomas will make several public appearances throughout the day at the Armstrong Museum and in downtown Wapakoneta.
“Don Thomas is one of the best astronauts when it comes to public engagement and meet & greets,” says Dante Centuori, Armstrong Museum executive director. “With his Ohio roots and amazing stories from his time at NASA, he’s really become a fan-favorite during the festival. If you’ve never had the chance to meet him or listen to one of his talks, this year is a great opportunity to do so.”
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Thomas received his Doctorate in Materials Science from Cornell University in 1982. Later in 1988, Thomas was hired on at Johnson Space Center in Houston as a materials engineer. Two years later, he was selected as one of the twenty-three astronauts for NASA’s thirteenth astronaut class.
Over the course of his astronaut career, Thomas flew on four space missions: STS-65, 70, 83 and 94. Altogether, Thomas has spent over forty-three days in space, totaling 17.6 million miles and over 690 orbits around Earth.
On July 22, Thomas will begin the day at the Armstrong Museum, cheering on participants at the Run to the Moon 5k/10k. From 12:30–1:30 p.m., Thomas will have a free meet and greet session outside in the museum pavilion. From 3–4 p.m., Thomas will move downtown to the Heritage Park gazebo for another free meet and greet.
The astronaut will then end the night at the Armstrong Museum for the Astronaut Gala, where he will give a special presentation over his time as an astronaut and highlight stories from his missions. Tickets to this event are $100 and goes towards programs related to the museum’s mission and vision. Gala information is on the museum’s website, www.armstrongmuseum.org.
