NASA Johnson Space Center Brings Artemis III and Space Exploration to Houston Japan Festival

On September 12 and 13, employees from NASA’s Johnson Space Center brought the excitement and wonder of space exploration to Houston’s Japan Festival at Hermann Park.

For more than 30 years, the festival has immersed guests in traditional Japanese culture through food, dance, martial arts, music and more. Johnson Space Center has supported the festival as an exhibitor for the past four years.

NASA Showcases Artemis III and Future Moon Exploration

NASA Johnson’s booth featured the upcoming Artemis III mission, its crew and NASA’s plans for a moon base. Exhibits included models of NASA’s Orion spacecraft and the International Space Station, along with space food and an interactive display featuring real astronaut gloves and helmets that attendees could try on.

Johnson employees connected with more than 3,000 festival attendees, sharing information about NASA’s current efforts, distributing NASA stickers and pins, and inspiring the next generation of space explorers. According to Johnson employees, one of the weekend’s highlights was seeing the joy and excitement on the faces of children and adults as they explored the exhibits.

“It was amazing to see our students, even in high school, have a passion for NASA and ask questions about how to prepare for a career at NASA,” said Brendan King, a software engineer in Johnson’s Flight Dynamics Division.

NASA and JAXA Highlight International Space Collaboration

Next to Johnson’s booth, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) displayed a model of the HTV-X1 cargo spacecraft, space eclipses and images of JAXA’s pressurized spacecraft that could support future manned and unmanned lunar exploration. JAXA astronaut Akihiko Hoshide also signed autographs and posed for photos with festival participants.

The proximity of the booths reflected NASA and JAXA’s long-standing partnership—from the addition of the Kibo laboratory to the International Space Station, to Japan’s conclusion of the Artemis Agreement and the development of lunar hardware. NASA and JAXA’s commitment to innovation and international collaboration continues to advance space exploration.

Inspiring Houston’s Next Generation of Space Explorers

As the center of human spaceflight, Johnson Space Center engages with the public through events such as the Japan Festival. These events give the Johnson community an opportunity to share NASA history, ongoing efforts and future missions while reminding Houstonians that the big leap starts right here in the heart of Houston.