Virtual: 50th Anniversary of the Centaur Upper Stage

This presentation is an overview of the Centaur upper stage rocket --- developed, managed, and launched by northeast Ohio’s Glenn Research Center for 35 years. Centaur is the highest performing upper stage in the US space program. It has been launched over 200 times in the 50 years of its existence. Centaur has launched the most performance-demanding spacecraft to a variety of missions and locations: communication satellites to geo-transfer orbit, scientific satellites to high Earth orbit, interplanetary scientific spacecraft, and national security missions. Some of the most notable missions have been Viking landers to Mars, Cassini spacecraft to Saturn, Voyager spacecraft to Jupiter/Saturn/Uranus/Neptune, New Horizons mission to Pluto, and many others. Centaur was developed, integrated, managed, and launched by the Glenn Research Center for the first 35 years of its existence.

Geauga Skywatchers Club is an astronomy club founded by Chagrin Valley Astronomical Society, Geauga County Library System, Burton Public Library, Geauga Park District, and the Foundation for Geauga Parks, whose purpose is to promote scientific thinking to the young and young-at-heart through the study and practice of astronomy. 

Grades 6 – Adult.