Explore Science, Space at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

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Aug 01, 2011, 12:12 ET

WILLIAMSBURG, Va., Aug. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ride the world's tallest floorless dive coaster, meet an astronaut and "fly" a NASA airplane during NASA Days at Busch Gardens this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 5-6.

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For the fourth year in a row Busch Gardens Williamsburg and NASA Langley Research Center are collaborating to engage the public in the excitement of science and space exploration.

Former astronaut Susan Kilrain will talk with visitors twice daily at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the Globe Theatre. Kilrain was a mission specialist on two shuttle missions and logged more than 900 hours in space. She will sign autographs near Das Festhaus in between presentations.

At a variety of NASA booths, guests will have the opportunity to learn how astronauts live, eat and work in space. They'll also be able to: touch a real shuttle tire and moon rock; use a solar telescope; play games for prizes; build a comet; discover Mars; and take home a souvenir photo of themselves as an astronaut.

Park guests will also be able to "take off and land" an aircraft through the NASA X-Plane Flight Simulator experience.

For more information on NASA Exploration Day at Busch Gardens, go to http://www.buschgardens.com/va.

Media who wish to cover NASA Exploration Day should contact the Busch Gardens communications department at [email protected] or (757) 253-3369.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment operates 10 parks across the U.S. including SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. and Williamsburg; Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando; Sesame Place near Philadelphia, Pa.; and water parks Adventure Island in Tampa and Water Country USA in Williamsburg.

The 10 parks play host to 25 million guests each year and employ 26,000 people nationwide. To learn more, visit www.SeaWorldParksandEntertainment.com or call toll-free (888) 800-5447. Additionally, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment created the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, a non-profit, private charitable foundation committed to supporting wildlife and habitat conservation, research, education and animal rescue programs worldwide. Learn more at SWBG-ConservationFund.org.

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SOURCE NASA