New Mexico Museum of Space History

From Space to White Sands: U.S. Army Astronaut to Speak at NM Museum of Space History Launch Pad Lecture on May 1st
2026-05-01 09:00 - 10:00 UTC | New Horizons Dome Theater and Planetarium, 3198 State Route 2001, Alamogordo, NM, 88310, United States
ALAMOGORDO, NM – The New Mexico Museum of Space History’s next Launch Pad Lecture will feature distinguished astronaut Col. Andrew R. Morgan, M.D. (U.S. Army), the Senior Commander of White Sands Missile Range. The event is scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2026. Morgan will present “A Soldier’s Journey to Space,” offering insights into his leadership career that spans military medicine, special operations, and human spaceflight.
A 1998 graduate of West Point and a 2002 graduate of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Morgan served aboard the International Space Station from July 2019 to April 2020 on Expeditions 60, 61, and 62. During this mission, he performed seven spacewalks, a record for a single spaceflight. Before his selection as a NASA astronaut in 2013, he served as an emergency physician with U.S. Army Special Operations units, deploying to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa. His career also includes serving as the Army Senior Astronaut and Detachment Commander at the Johnson Space Center and commanding the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Since June 2025, he has served as the Senior Commander of White Sands Missile Range.
The Colonel’s military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal. His NASA honors include the Distinguished Service Medal and the Space Exploration Medal. Morgan and his wife, Stacey, have been married for 25 years and have four children.
“We are honored to host Col. Morgan for May’s Launch Pad Lecture as an exciting start to Astronaut Week,” said Karen Kinkaid Brady, Executive Director of the New Mexico Museum of Space History. “His knowledge and commitment to the space program are unsurpassed.”
The lecture will take place on Friday, May 1, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in the New Horizons Dome Theater and Planetarium, located at 3198 State Route 2001, Alamogordo, NM. Admission is free. Guests will enjoy complimentary coffee and donuts, courtesy of the International Space Hall of Fame Foundation.
The Launch Pad Lecture series, held on the first Friday of each month, highlights notable figures and topics from space science, exploration, and history. The International Space Hall of Fame Foundation’s support makes this program possible.

“The CON at COMIC CON” Murder Mystery at the New Mexico Museum of Space History
2026-05-02 18:00 - 21:00 | New Mexico Museum of Space History, 3198 State Rd. 2001, Alamogordo, NM, 88310, United States
(Alamogordo) — The New Mexico Museum of Space History will transform into a comic-inspired crime scene on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., when the Cloudcroft Light Opera Company (CLOC) presents “The CON at COMIC CON,” an interactive murder mystery experience. Guests are encouraged to wear their favorite costumes, assemble detective teams, and dive into a night of clues, twists, and superhero flair—complete with plenty of “POW!” energy.
Tickets are $45 per person ($40 for International Space Hall of Fame Foundation members) and include dinner and dessert. At the end of the investigation, prizes will be awarded to the top three detective teams.
For more details, visit CloudcroftLightOpera.org or NMSpaceMuseum.org.
