NFL fan fest Super Bowl Live begins Saturday at Houston's Discovery Green park, and the goal of the free event is to "entertain people, educate them on the future of human spaceflight and showcase the city," according to Andrea Rumbaugh of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. NASA and other aerospace companies are using the festival, which runs through Feb. 5, to "showcase their technologies and to inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists and astronauts." Super Bowl Live will serve as an opportunity for experts to "discuss the technology that will take astronauts to Mars." The event also will have a "full-size Orion test vehicle on display," which is the spacecraft "designed to take humans to Mars." Aerojet Rocketdyne VP/Advanced Space, Launch Programs & Safety Julie Van Kleeck said that Super Bowl Live is an "opportunity to talk about space to those outside of the space community." Rumbaugh noted among the festival's attractions includes Future Flight, a rollercoaster ride that "seats 12 and lasts about two minutes." Future Flight "requires signing a waiver" and a 90-foot drop. There also is an "area to experience the virtual reality portion" without taking the full ride (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 1/26). In Houston, Harden & Tolson noted NASA's Space Exploration Vehicle "will be on display" during Super Bowl Live. Johnson Space Center Deputy Dir of External Relations Deborah Conder said, "We got engaged fairly quickly because we knew right away we wanted NASA to be a part of the events leading up to the super bowl" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 1/24).
SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED: In Houston, Dug Begley noted "enormous banners and signs signaling the start of Super Bowl events have sprouted around Houston," though the city has rather "strict sign rules that have helped reduce the number of billboards." The city's sign rules have an "exception to 'nationally competitively bid events' such as a Super Bowl, NBA All-Star Game or even a Republican National Convention." The signs do have "restrictions subject to certain locations and the period during which they can be hung and when they must be removed" (CHRON.com, 1/25).
