Nuclear Times: Winter 2014

Nuclear Times Winter 2014

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Accreditation

After more than three years of focused effort, the Museum has achieved full accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums.

nuclearmuseum.org

B-47

A new iconic plane has been added to the Museum’s collection.

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Honorary Trustees Pete V. Domenici Senator (ret.)

Dr. Murray Gell-Mann Nobel Laureate Richard Rhodes Pulitzer Prize Winner Officers Dr. John Stichman President John Shaw Vice President Pam Sullivan Secretary Marcus Mims, CPA Treasurer Dick Peebles Past President Trustees Marshall Cohen Jim Ferland Maureen Gannon Dr. Damon Giovanielli Dr. Michael Hartshorne Dr. Jaqueline L. Kiplinger Richard Perry Jody Redeker Alison Schuler

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CONTENTS 3

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

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ROLL, DROP, BOUNCE

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THE ARRIVAL OF THE B-47 STRATOJET

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NATIONAL NUCLEAR SCIENCE WEEK

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“SCIENCE IS EVERYWHERE” SPRING CAMP DISCOVER STEM

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LETTER FROM AN INTERN

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2013 MAYDEW-JEBLICK AWARD

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2013 OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD

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WINNER OF THE “FLY AWAY ON FIFI” RAFFLE

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OPERATION PRESERVATION: THE CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE THE PLANES

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LETTER FROM OUR SPONSOR

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History has recently reached a pinnacle of professional practice and a major milestone in continuing advancement. After more than three years of focused effort, the Museum has achieved full accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). This is truly a significant step in our institutional maturity and growth, as it brings our effort to operate the Museum in line with the standard of practice and care expected from major museums.

Our long and arduous journey to reach our goal of accreditation started in 2009, about the time we moved into the new Museum facility, and began with our participation in a Museum Assessment Program (MAP) level 1 action. The Map-1 is a chance for a preview “tune-up� for a museum.

During a MAP, a museum will examine many internal aspects, which include their work to meet the community mission, how they care for collections, what is done to recruit members, how they retain volunteers, how they raise money, how they train the board and how they plan strategic initiatives. It is a self-review followed by a site visit from a museum peer who helps view the institution from an outside perspective. As in any professional institution, it is easy to become so close to the way things are done that it becomes difficult to see a different way in which to do them. MAP-1 helps identify these areas in order to reach accreditation standards.

Ex Officio Dr. L. Wayne Brasure Matthew A. Griffin James K. Walther Museum Director Trustees Emeritus Jerry Adams Hal Behl Dr. Robert Busch Joel Carlson Dan Hardin Charles R. Loeber Kimberly E.S. Meagher Judith Mead Doug Moody Greg Morrison Harry Mumma Harold Rarrick Lyle Talbot Warner Talso Brig. Gen. (Ret.) H. Tom Taylor Dr. Ruth Weiner

After we had our MAP report, we revisited procedures as well as policies that dictate our operation, our values and our culture at the Museum. We were able to see areas in need of improvement, places our efforts were in earnest but lacked measurable impact and endeavors to perform well with no real goal of a higher level in which we should be performing. (continued on page 4)

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LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR (Continued) After this, in the summer of 2011, planning began for our Accreditation application in preparation of sending it to AAM. This step takes extreme intention, as it involves a true commitment of time, money and attention to a plan of work that is within a set schedule. We were accepted into the program in early 2012 and began the extremely intensive “self-study� program.

To begin this process successfully, we needed some foreknowledge of what would be required.

It was lucky indeed that Greg Shuman, Deputy Director, and David Hoover, Museum Curator, had been through previous accreditations at other museums in their careers. Greg chaired our effort and drew up a schedule of meetings, formed teams to review every aspect of our work and mobilized a write up of information about our operation, as we knew it. The self-study proved to be very informative and brought forth many existing policy weaknesses that we worked diligently to rectify. Within an eight-month time span, we were able to initiate new policies, as directed by board discussion and approval.

Last November, after Greg created a master file of all our materials that were painstakingly created for this accreditation, we submitted it to AAM by the deadline. We then awaited a review of our initial package, were quickly asked to submit more detail and finally were notified that the information had been forwarded to the AAM Accreditation Commission for consideration.

In June of 2013, we were told of the selection of our two peer reviewers, as an indication our

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program was progressing. Our site visit was set for August and as the time drew near, we mounted a huge effort to clean, organize and ready our Museum. This effort even included pulling weeds in front of the Museum. The site visit went superbly due to a wonderful and prepared staff and board. The inspection team members were so impressed with our work, our facility and our organization that they cut their normally two-day visit short. They were particularly pleased with the professionalism of our collection program, which is certainly a real feather in our cap.

After a two-month wait, we finally received word on October 31 that we had passed and would soon receive an official letter of notification of our accreditation. Congratulations were in order for the hardworking staff, volunteers and board who made this possible.

This prestigious accreditation places our Museum in the company of a select few who also strive for excellence. As an AAM accredited museum we will have a greater opportunity to qualify for grant support, utilize loan programs and partner on other funding arrangements to meet our mission.

This is a wonderful affirmation that we excel as a high-quality institution within our industry.

Sincerely, Sincerely,

Jim Walther, Museum Director

Jim Walther, Museum Director

ROLL, DROP, BOUNCE Physics, one of the more difficult sciences to comprehend, just became fun and completely kid-friendly! Children and adults alike are invited to a very special exhibition where ball tossing, top spinning and car racing make physics come to life.

Walther, Director of the Museum. “Everyone from kids to teachers will appreciate this experiential exhibit, as well as the unique opportunity it provides for open-ended exploration and concrete understanding.”

“Roll, Drop, Bounce: The Science of Motion,” rolls into the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History on Saturday, February 1, and invites visitors to explore physics and the science of motion through 11 exciting interactive stations.

“Roll, Drop, Bounce” will inspire visitors to think up new experiments while they play and encourage creative tinkering that is fun and completely educational to all ages.

These genuine hands-on activities will include Design and Build a Car, Catapult, Ball Launcher, Newton’s Cradle and many more. It is through these experiments that visitors will observe such physics principles as kinetic energy, elasticity, friction and acceleration.

In the learning station called Hula Hoops, guests are invited to play with a hula hoop and see if they can keep it circling on their hips, and for how long.

The question arises; what keeps the hoop from falling to the ground while it spins? By playing and experimenting, the guest will learn that friction supplies the force that opposes gravity and keeps the hoop from falling to the ground.

“This exhibit presents the basics of physics on a level that everyone will be able to enjoy,” said Jim

It is through the much appreciated support of the Albert I. Pierce Foundation, Lockheed Martin/Sandia National Laboratories, Michael A. Emerson & Kathryn Naassan and PNM Resources Foundation, that the Museum is able to host “Roll, Drop, Bounce,” which will be on display through April 27, 2014. There is no additional fee to experience this exhibit, beyond the usual price of admission for non-members.

Please join the Museum for a members-only preview that will be held on Friday, January 31, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. To RSVP, please contact Nadine Scala at 505-245-2137, extension 113.

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“THIS ICONIC AIRPLANE IS THE FIRST AIRCRAFT ADDED TO THE MUSEUM’S COLLECTION IN OVER TWENTY YEARS, AND THERE TRULY COULDN’T BE A MORE APPROPRIATE ADDITION TO OUR COLLECTION.”

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The iconic Boeing B-47 Stratojet aircraft arrived on August 26 and was reassembled on October 28, 2013.

ARRIVAL OF THE B-47 STRATOJET By David Hoover, Museum Curator By now, most of our members have seen the latest addition to Heritage Park, a Boeing B-47E which arrived from the National Museum of the United States Air Force. This iconic airplane is the first aircraft added to the Museum’s collection in over twenty years, and there truly couldn’t be a more appropriate addition to our collection.

The B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engine, jet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes to avoid enemy interception. The B-47’s mission was primarily to deliver nuclear ordnance on designated targets. With its engines carried in pods under the swept wing, the B-47 was a major innovation in post-World War II combat jet design and helped lead to modern jet airliners.

The B-47 entered service with the United States Air Force’s Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1951. It never saw combat as a bomber but was a mainstay of SAC’s bomber strength during the 1950s and early 1960s, remaining in use as a bomber until 1965. It was also adapted to a number of other missions which included photo reconnaissance, electronic intelligence and weather reconnaissance; remaining in service as a reconnaissance platform until 1969 and as a test bed until 1977.

The B-47E was an improved version of the B model, and more than 1,500 were produced by Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed. Improvements incorporated into the E model Stratojet included a more powerful version of the General Electric J47 turbojet and rocket assisted takeoff pack. Other features of the B-47E included upgraded avionics and 20mm cannons in the tail instead of the .50cal. machine guns of the B model.

Our B-47E came out of the Boeing, Wichita, KS plant on March 1, 1955. The aircraft served most of its operational life as a test bed for modern “fly-by-wire” (FBW) systems. The ability to control modern aircraft surfaces such as flaps and ailerons with electronic technology is the direct result of work performed using this aircraft as the test-bed.

Per Royal Frey, Chief of the Research Division of the Air Force Dynamics Laboratory, “The results of this highly successful exploratory development program represent a major milestone in the continuing development of FBW flight control system concepts and hardware for modern high performance aircraft. Moreover, the FBW flight control system concept represents the first basic change in flight control system design since the early days of aircraft.”

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NATIONAL NUCLEAR SCIENCE WEEK

Register online today!

National Nuclear Science Week 2013, celebrated on a national level October 2125, was the most successful NNSW ever hosted by the Museum. We even had a waiting list for schools that wanted to attend!

During this week-long celebration of all things nuclear, our Museum welcomed nearly 700 students and teachers to the Museum for nuclear science activities. Students demonstrated nuclear fission using balloons, actively showed how various materials can be used to shield radiation, experimented with Geiger counters, learned about safety procedures in a clean room and debated the pros and cons of nuclear proliferation. During this week of investigation and exploration, students voted their favorite activity as the twenty-minute version of our new “60 Minutes to Doomsday” educational program.

Nearly all of the teachers attending responded that their students left having learned something about nuclear science, and a great majority of the teachers plan to use our activities in their own classroom.

We had a wonderful week and are already looking forward to next year’s event!

Look for NNSW again Oct. 20-24, 2014!

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SPRING DAY CAMPS!

The Museum is thrilled to announce our “Science is Everywhere” Spring Day Camps!

This year, due to the changed public school calendar, camps will take place April 14-18, 2014.

Each day will offer two camps for kids ages 6 to 12. Camp topics will range from robots and super heroes to Grossology and the science of sports.

Students will have the exciting opportunity to construct working robots, investigate the ‘gross’ world of scat, explore how art and science coincide and discover the science behind how our favorite Sochi 2014 Olympians became masters of their sport. We look forward to celebrating Spring Break with our campers! For more information, please call 505-245-2137, extension 103, or visit our website at nuclearmuseum.org and click on “Learn from the Museum” and “Kids Camp.” Registration is filling quickly, so ENROLL TODAY!

Science of Magic Roll, Drop, Bounce Zap! Bang! Pow! Grossology Eco-Troopers Let’s Move: Science of Sports Rockets, Rockets, Rockets Sky Scraper School Myths Busted Super Hero Training Camp

Discover STEM The Museum education staff is excited to announce the second annual Discover STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Week, taking place February 3-7 and ending with a family day of events on Saturday, February 8. During this week-long celebration of STEM, the Museum will welcome Albuquerque teachers and students for hands-on learning in five fields of engineering. Thanks to funding from several sponsors, including Kirtland Federal Credit Union, U.S. Bank, Albert I. Pierce Foundation and Lockheed Martin, /Sandia National Laboratories busing and admission will be free for schools.

in problem solving and exposure to the wide variety of career opportunities in these fields. Engineers from local businesses such as Sandia National Laboratories, Qynergy Corporation, Intel, Kirtland Air Force Base, UNM and more will engage students in hands-on activities related to their career expertise.

On Saturday, February 8, the Museum will welcome families and scouts for even more engineering fun.

Visitors will be able to see a Tesla Coil in action, learn how static electricity effects moving particles, experience delicious ice cream made with liquid nitrogen and much more! Participation is free with Museum admission.

Each day, students will explore a different field of engineering. Students will be able to interact and learn from local scientists and engineers and gain experience

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Come discover how an airplane flies. Practice your own flying skills and launch an airplane.

Electrical Engineering & Green Energy Initiatives

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering

Aeronautical Engineering

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Discover how to use chemistry, and what the biomedical field can do for people. Use your design skills to make a prosthetic finger.

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Discover the uses of electricity and how it powers your daily life. Learn how being “green” is beneficial to our world.

Civil & Structural Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

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Discover how machines are designed and work for us. Be ready to design and construct using your own super ideas.

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Time to discover how big things are built! Come and learn how a dam is built and used.

Discover STEM Day

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Families and community can discover the different engineering fields in STEM. Be ready for some fun and educational handson activities.

DISCOVER cience, echnology,

ngineering,

athematics

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LETTER FROM AN INTERN By Erin Thienel, Museum Intern As a master’s candidate at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, with a major in Nonproliferation and Terrorism studies, I was fortunate beyond words to have spent the summer of 2013 as an intern at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. I was tasked with the job of creating a game-style educational program, eventually titled “60 Minutes to Doomsday,” that was primarily focused for classes participating in field-trips at the Museum.

In this game, students play a key role as one of the world’s Nuclear Weapons States’ political leaders, intelligence specialists, scientific experts and media personnel who convene in mock United Nations style meetings discussing and debating the different information the game has given each of their characters, culminating in an internationally supported approach to a purported proliferation threat. As a student studying Nonproliferation and Terrorism, this fit perfectly within my field of interest. With this game, I was able to implement several of the historical nuclear proliferation cases that I’d studied as a student, but more importantly this internship opportunity allowed me to conduct my own research to help supplement the information I already had in order to assure that the game, however fictitious, properly highlighted issues in the field of nuclear proliferation and international relations.

The Museum’s staff, volunteers and even industry partners were one of the keys to making this program as elegant as possible. One of the most exciting moments during my time at the Museum was conducting the final trial-run of “60 Minutes to Doomsday.” The Museum and staff were so open, engaged and willing to help even those in the most trivial of office positions, the intern. For my game’s trial-run, the Museum staff and myself, kindly recruited co-workers, Museum docents,

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friends and even family members to help facilitate in the run of the game. Because the turnout of participants was better than expected, I was engaged on several different facets of the game.

The staff were able to tell me about the realistic practicality of the game, while the content was greatly enhanced by the real world knowledge and experiences of the docents. All of this was topped off with the feasibility of this project as gauged by the high-school aged family members who volunteered their time to participate in this trial run.

I can truthfully say that every day at the Museum was enjoyable. Upon completion of my time at the Museum I realized just how lucky I had been to land an experience such as this. Instead of the stereotypical coffee-fetching, copy-making intern, I was fortunate enough to have been given a position where my creativity, interests and field of knowledge were directly tested and greatly appreciated; wrapped in an experience that I will never forget.

Students participate in “60 Minutes to Doomsday” during National Nuclear Science Week.

2013 MAYDEW-JEBLICK AWARD Since 2000, the Maydew-Jeblick Award has been presented to one adult volunteer in recognition of their outstanding volunteer service. This award honors the memory of two past volunteers, Randall C. Maydew and Harold Jeblick, whose impact on the Museum was significant. The recipient of the award is honored each year in December at the Annual Volunteer Dinner.

We are honored to present the 2013 MaydewJeblick Award to Terry Leighley. Although Terry has only been a volunteer since early 2012, he has quickly become an invaluable volunteer in several areas of the Museum. Not only does Terry volunteer all day on Fridays as a Museum Docent, he has worked on a variety of projects in Heritage Park, including assembly of the Titan II ICMB exhibit and restoration of the Bomarc Missile exhibit. This year he has also become involved in assisting with education-based field trips, and he stepped in at the last minute to act as a Docent for the Museum’s trip to the Trinity Site.

Terry is truly a dedicated volunteer. In 2013, he contributed a high number of volunteer hours, and went above and beyond in a few notable

ways. First, Terry became a champion of the Museum’s Operation Preservation campaign. This campaign is a two-year campaign to raise funding and resources for improvements to Heritage Park.

One component of the campaign was a raffle, for which Terry quietly solicited and sold a significant quantity of tickets.

Second, Terry has an eye for detail and parlays that into enhancing the visitor experience in a number of small and surprising ways. Not only is he the first person to volunteer for tasks related to maintaining the grounds, Terry has also assisted the curatorial staff with seeking out periodappropriate items to add to the exhibit displays, including a console radio and the correct door handle for the Plymouth sedan on display.

Despite all of these contributions, Terry’s biggest and most impactful contribution to the Museum is his positive attitude. This attitude comes across in the many facets of his work and has gone a long way in his promotion of the Museum. We are very pleased that Terry chooses to volunteer his time and talents at the Museum. He’s an integral part of our team.

Melissa Donahoo, Volunteer Coordinator; Terry Leighley, 2013 Maydew-Jeblick Award Recipient and Jim Walther, Museum Director

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2013 OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARD As a summer camp volunteer counselor, Rana is a leader among her peers and in the classroom.

Instructors enjoy working with her because they know they can count on Rana to take the initiative to help with activities and inspire students to learn about science. Rana is also a superb role model for campers. She displays a compassion that makes campers feel welcome and comfortable, which contributes significantly to the success of camp.

Patti Martinez, Education Enrichment Coordinator and Rana Chan.

This year the Museum is pleased to honor Rana Chan with the Outstanding Student Award. Ms. Chan is a senior at La Cueva High School and has been a Museum volunteer since 2011. During that time she has volunteered for two different Museum programs – Summer Camp and Science a la Carte - and has shown leadership in both programs.

As a Junior Docent, Rana is considered an “expert in her field.” She volunteers almost weekly at the Museum and presents science demonstrations to Museum visitors. Rana knows all of the presentations and does them all with expertise, great science information and super audience appeal. Rana has developed additional demonstrations, suggested improvements to existing demonstrations and has stepped into a leadership role by becoming a peer trainer.

Rana is a wonderful young lady and a very dedicated volunteer. She’s determined to succeed in future endeavors and is an excellent role model. As the first-ever recipient of the Outstanding Student Award, Rana’s example is one that sets a high standard for the future of the student volunteer program.

WINNER OF THE FLY AWAY ON FIFI RAFFLE Congratulations to Terry Scott, from Rio Rancho, for winning the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History’s 2013 raffle, “Fly Away on Fifi.”

Terry is the lucky recipient of the two tickets in “Gunner Seats” on a flight on “Fifi,” the last operational B-29 Superfortress, as well as a $1,000 cash stipend for travel accommodations.

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This raffle, the first in the Museum’s history, began on June 1 and ran through November 30, 2013.

Through this raffle, the Museum was able to raise $7,200 that will go directly toward “Operation Preservation,” an initiative to restore the Museum’s iconic aircraft in Heritage Park including our very own B-29 Superfortress, the B-52 Stratofortress, the F-105D Thunderchief and the A-7 Corsair II. If you are interested in supporting “Operation Preservation,” please visit nuclearmuseum.org and choose “Support the Museum.”

OPERATION PRESERVATION: CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE THE PLANES Operation Preservation is an ambitious two-year campaign to raise $200,000 to restore four of the Museum’s iconic aircraft. The B-29 Superfortress, B52-B Stratofortress, F-105D Thunderchief and A7 Corsair II are all in need of paint and other attention. The campaign continues to roll on and has picked up some noticeable momentum.

We have received some very generous support from two individuals: Mr. Clay Perkins and Mr. Bill Stanage. Both individuals are deeply committed to ensuring the success of this campaign. We are also truly grateful to Mr. David Seely, President & CEO of Kirtland Federal Credit Union, for the credit union’s four-year financial commitment to the success of Operation Preservation. Thank You!

To guarantee we do not lose this momentum, and to further spread the word of this initiative, we are looking for opportunities to speak about Operation Preservation to members of the community. We would enjoy speaking to your professional organization, social club, fraternity or sorority. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Charles W. Lowery II, Director of Development, at 505-245-2137, extension 110.

Anyone wishing to make a contribution to Operation Preservation can also do so by visiting the Museum’s website at www.nuclearmuseum. org.

13 The B-29 Superfortress in the Museum’s outdoor exhibit, Heritage Park.

LETTER FROM OUR SPONSOR Kirtland Federal Credit Union is honored to partner with the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in a relationship that has spanned many years. As a military credit union, we share the Museum’s unique connection with all branches of the Department of Defense, especially Kirtland Air Force Base and the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. In many ways, the credit union and Museum have a shared heritage of honoring the more than 70 years of Albuquerque’s critical role in the nuclear enterprise. Our employees have enjoyed participating with the Museum in its efforts to educate visitors on the history and military use of nuclear capabilities as well as the modern, peaceful applications of nuclear science.

Each year Kirtland FCU has been a sponsor of the Museum’s premier comprehensive educational program, Discover STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). We have witnessed firsthand the Museum’s employees and volunteers expertly guiding attendees through the facility, highlighting interactional exhibits along the way.

With such a profound display of dedication and passion to teaching adults and young people, it

By David Seely, President & CEO KFCU is clear the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History is a prominent community educator.

Kirtland FCU is proud to be a part of these phenomenal activities.

This year, in a determined effort to enhance our partnership with the Museum and add to its effectiveness, Kirtland FCU began an annual contribution to Operation Preservation, an aggressive mission to restore and maintain the historic aircraft and missiles on display in the Museum’s Heritage Park.

Over many years, Kirtland FCU’s partnership with the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History has been strengthened, and we have enjoyed meeting and getting to know the staff, volunteers and visitors. One of our primary goals is to sustain and nurture this important professional relationship. We look forward to the Museum increasing in stature in the Albuquerque area and beyond, becoming an even more important influence on multi-generational visitors from around the world.

UPCOMING EVENTS February 1 through April 27: Roll, Drop, Bounce February 3-7: Discover STEM Week February 8: Discover STEM Day February 15: Book Signing with Larry Greenly March 29: Einstein Society Gala April 5: Trinity Tour April 5: Neutron Day April 14-18: “Science is Everywhere” Spring Day Camp

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