Scores of visitors to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on Saturday afternoon were unaware of Mercury program astronaut Scott Carpenter standing near a model of a spacesuit.
Carpenter was at the museum to receive the Ambassador of Exploration Award from NASA for being among the first generation of American astronauts to participate in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs.
“I’m honored,” said Carpenter, who is retired and traveled from his home in Vail to receive the award.
Other individuals who played key roles in space exploration were also honored during a ceremony Saturday evening at the museum.
Carpenter’s award is a moon rock fragment encased in Lucite that was part of the 842 pounds of moon rock samples collected during the six Apollo lunar expeditions from 1969 through 1972.
The moon rock will be put on permanent public display in the museum’s Space Odyssey.
“It’s 4 billion years old,” said Steve Lee, curator of planetary science at the museum. “It’s a piece of rock from another world.”
During Carpenter’s historic NASA solo flight in 1962, he orbited the Earth three times and the manually controlled his capsule’s landing before it splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean.
Carpenter, 82, said he became interested in naval aviation during the 1930s but never imagined he’d travel through space.
“There were no such things at that time,” Carpenter said, standing among video and still-photography exhibits highlighting advancements made in space exploration technology.
Carpenter said he’s impressed with the strides being made, but he said he would like to see the colonization of Mars. “It’s inevitable,” he said.
Before leaving the large Space Odyssey room, Carpenter offered some wisdom for young and aspiring astronauts who gazed at the colorful exhibits showcasing spaceflight and the planets and stars.
“Stay in school as long as you can and work hard,” Carpenter said. “A good education is your key to success.”
Annette Espinoza: 303-954-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com
