From Sept. 6-7, 2024, NASA’s Johnson Space Center brought the excitement of space exploration to the annual Japan Festival at Hermann Park in Houston.  

The lively cultural event featured traditional food, dance, martial arts, and more, while Johnson’s booth attracted attendees with interactive space exhibits and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities.  

A NASA booth is set up at an outdoor event with four people posing under a tent. They are surrounded by space-themed displays, including cutouts of astronauts, the NASA logo, and the Space Launch System rocket.Johnson Space Center volunteers share NASA’s mission and student opportunities at the annual Japan Festival in Houston. NASA Johnson employees passed along information about High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS), a NASA-unique program offering Texas high school juniors an opportunity to explore STEM fields.  

The program kicks off with an online course and, for top performers, culminates in an on-site summer experience at Johnson, where students can learn from NASA scientists and engineers. Program graduates may also apply for NASA internships and scholarships, including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ and Rotary National Award for Space Achievement scholarships. 

A boy tries on an oversized astronaut glove in front of a NASA rocket model at an outdoor event booth.

A smiling child proudly shows off a NASA sticker on their hand at an outdoor event.Attendees enjoy Johnson Space Center’s exhibit booth at Hermann Park in Houston. NASA/Johnnie Joseph Festival attendees explored interactive displays, including models of the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft, space food samples, and a real spacesuit glove and helmet. Johnson volunteers distributed NASA meatball stickers, mission stickers, and Artemis bookmarks with QR codes, offering students and space enthusiasts opportunities to dive deeper into STEM education and NASA’s missions. 

A volunteer shows a child and festival attendees an astronaut glove outside at a NASA booth. Johnson volunteers share NASA’s mission and student opportunities to festival attendees. NASA/Johnnie Joseph NASA’s long-standing partnership with Japan was front and center as JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) set up a neighboring booth. JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa delighted festival-goers by posing for photos, signing autographs, and visiting NASA’s booth to greet Johnson employees.  

The event highlighted the collaborative spirit of space exploration between NASA and its international partners, who are working together on missions around the Moon and beyond as part of the Artemis campaign. Japan, alongside other global partners, has committed to supporting the International Space Station through 2030. 

A child stands in front of a model of a NASA rocket, looks up in awe while an adult and another child stand nearby. Festival attendees explore NASA’s booth, captivated by the space exhibits.NASA/Johnnie Joseph A smiling child wearing a Minecraft T-shirt explores a display of space-themed items, including packaged astronaut food, while a woman sits at the table next to him. A child points to a rocket as a NASA volunteer holds it in his hands. A group of four people stand behind a NASA booth table at an outdoor event. A group of five people stand behind a NASA booth table at an outdoor event.

Johnson Space Center Ignites STEM Passion at Houston’s Japan Festival