HAMPTON, Va. - NASA's Langley Research Center opened its doors to the public for the first time in six years on Saturday...and people packed the place.
Langley says nearly 40,000 people signed up for the Open House in advance.
Crowds arrived on center at 9 a.m. and lingered throughout the day, visiting famous locations like the Hangar and Wind Tunnel. At each location, engineers waited to answer questions about their research in space, aviation and Earth science.
Langley also had an area set up for kids, local food trucks and merchandise on sale.
Families didn't only come from local cities. News 3 spoke with a family of 4 who made the hours-long drive from Pittsburgh.
“We actually sent a message to ask if there were kids activities. The lady got back to us and said there were tons and was worth the drive so we’re excited to be here," said Enrico Catanzaro, who came with his wife and two children.
One of the highlights of the day was a presentation by NASA astronaut Victor Glover, who earlier this year was chosen as one of four astronauts for the agency's upcoming Artemis II mission.
Glover will pilot the spacecraft carrying the astronauts around the moon and back, going further into space than any other human.
