Display Is Presented by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Enterprises
The New Shephard capsule named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space, is a fully reusable, suborbital rocket system built for human flight from the beginning and has come to the Columbia Memorial Space Center
A replica of Blue Origin’s “New Shepard” capsule is now in place at the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey.
The display will extend into the month of June, according to Downey Public Information Officer Axel Perez.
Visitors will be allowed inside the capsule Tuesday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Perez said.
Photos and videos are allowed and encouraged. Admission is free. All are welcome.
Blue Origin Enterprises, based in Kent, Washington, was founded by billionaire businessman in space explorer Jeff Bezos.
His aerospace company seeks to develop reusable launch vehicles and in-space systems that are safe, low cost, and serve the needs of all civil, commercial, and defense customers, according to its internet site.
Blue Origin’s efforts include flying astronauts to space on New Shepard, producing reusable liquid rocket engines, and developing an orbital launch vehicle.
The New Shephard capsule was named after astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American in space.
It is a fully reusable, suborbital rocket system built for human flight from the beginning. During the 11-minute journey, astronauts soar past the Kármán line (100 km/62 miles), the internationally recognized boundary of space, experiencing several minutes of weightlessness and witnessing life-changing views of Earth. The vehicle is fully autonomous — there are no pilots,” the website states.
The Blue Origin capsule was obtained through the “Club for the Future,” the company’s non-profit STEM organization, which encourages youngsters to get involved with ccience, technology, engineering and math, Perez said.
A second on-going feature is the “Friday Night Flight” program, a speaker series now under way, Perez said.
The next Friday Night Flight program is Aug. 16.
“The Friday Night Flights program will dig into Downey’s aerospace history and how the Space Center pays homage to the past while inspiring the future,” Perez said.
The programs are from 7 to 9 p.m. 7-9 pm. They include interactive games and giveaways.
The Center is open to the general public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with special hours available for school groups.
Admission is $5 per person, $3 for teachers, senior citizens and veterans. It’s free to those aged three years and younger.
For more information, call (562) 231-1200.
In Norwalk, the city’s Social Services Center, 11929 Alondra Blvd., will get a makeover and a new name to mark its 50th anniversary Sept. 19, at which time it will officially become the Jesse M. Luera Social Services Resource Center, in honor of the late city official and the city’s first social service director.
Luera served the city of Norwalk for 36 years, starting in 1974 as Director of Social Services before his election to the City Council in 1994.
He served on the Norwalk City Council from 1994 to 2011. Before that he served on the Norwalk-La Mirada School Board. Prior to his election he retired from the social service department.
In Paramount, Hynes D.E.S. Inc., a Portuguese religious group based at 7812 Alondra Blvd., will conduct its annual parade June 23, starting 9:30 a.m. at the D.E.S. hall and march north for a service at Our Lady of the Rosary Church, 14815 Paramount Blvd.
D.E.S. stands for Divine Espirito Santos or Divine Spirit of the Saint.
Also in Paramount, an urgent care facility with activities and services for disabled youth is planned at 8225 Alondra Blvd.
City Council May 14 approved a zone change requested by Dr. Eugene Allen. A request for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) will come before council in the near future, said Planning Director John Carver.
In Downey, a Los Angeles County mental health clinician will work with the police department here to respond to calls concerning mental health and drug issues under a new one-year contract. The city will use a $225,250 grant from the California Department of Health to pay up to 525 hours of overtime for the county clinicians.s
Arnold Adler, a longtime reporter for Wave Newspapers, may be contacted at arnoldadler123@gmail.com.
