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.  

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. 

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. 

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.