The Event Day

Launch Pad!

Welcome Explorers! Find your activities, workshops, planetarium shows, and space adventures all in one place for Lacy Veach Day.

October 18, 2026 | @9:00am - 2:30pm (HST)

U.H. Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Drive

Day of the Event!

Everything you need to know upon arrival

REMINDERS:

No food/drink concessions, please bring your own water!
Food must be eaten outside of the IfA campus on the lawn area

How to Check-In

Check-In Location: Registration Tent

Come with your Eventbrite confirmation email or QR code
Receive your Space Passport
Claim your Workshop Tickets (if you are registered)
When you leave the event, complete a post-survey for some space swag

Watch the Planetarium Show

First-Come, First-Served @ Planetarium Ticket Table

1 ticket per person
Offered by the UH Institute for Astronomy and the Bishop Museum
Shows run every 30 minutes
Due to the dark environment of the show, it may be scary for kids under the age of 3.

Workshop Check-In (Ticket Holders)

Check-In Location: Registration Tent

Come with your Eventbrite confirmation email or QR code
Claim your Workshop Tickets (if you are registered)
Check in at your assigned Workshop Room 15 minutes before start time.
Late arrivals may not be admitted once the workshop has begun.

Join the Workshop Waitlist (non-Ticket Holders)

First-Come, First-Served @ Waitlist Workshop Ticket Table

Max 2 waitlist tickets per student (while supplies last)
Grades 3–12 only (must be accompanied by an adult)
No switching or doubling up – registered workshop participants are not eligible for waitlist spots

Waitlist Process:

Check in at your assigned Workshop Room 15 minutes before start time.
If a spot opens, waitlist numbers will be called in order.
If not selected, you cannot sign up for another waitlist.

Space Passport

Pick-up Location: Registration Tent

Registered student and individual adult participants will receive a Space Passport
Visit Activity Booths and Workshops to learn about exciting STEM and space topics and collect a stamp or sticker
Collect stamps on your own schedule! There's no prize for completing your Space Passport - it's a fun keepsake to remember your Lacy Veach Day experience!

STEM Career Trading Cards (NEW)

Collect STEM Career Trading Cards as you explore the event! Visit participating booths and the "Meet the Professional Space Nerds" Talks to learn about exciting STEM and space careers and receive a trading card.

Collect cards by completing the Post-Survey on the way out!

Trade cards with your family and friends to build your collection and discover even more careers.

How many can you collect?

Agenda

9:00 AM - Opening Ceremony and Doors Open

Activities open (all day)
Special Guests from the Pacific Outpost, 501st Legion

9:30 AM - Planetarium shows begin

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Meet the Professional Space Nerds Talk (open to all) - 2nd floor Auditorium (see below for talk schedule)
Workshop Sessions (Ticket holders only)

2:30 PM - Event closes

Special Guests

Meet the Professional Space Nerds Talks (2nd Floor Auditorium)

Meet the Professional Space Nerds Bios ⬇️

Dr. Evan Kawamura

Dr. Evan Kawamura is a professional space nerd who somehow convinced NASA that years of building with LEGO, watching Star Wars and Star Trek, and imagining futuristic technology were excellent career preparation. Today, he works as a Computer and Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GNC) Engineer at NASA Ames Research Center, helping autonomous aircraft and spacecraft make smart decisions all on their own. When he's not working on robots and aerospace software, he enjoys mentoring students, solving engineering puzzles, building LEGO creations, and occasionally debating whether Pokémon or Naruto has the cooler training montages. He still believes the best way to learn science is to stay curious, ask lots of questions, and never outgrow your imagination. His mission is to show kids that the things they love today might become the careers they love tomorrow. After all, every great engineer starts as a kid who asks, "What happens if I build it this way?" And remember... **May the Force be with you. 🖖**

Aláine Lee

Aláine Lee likes to put herself in some of the most remote places on Earth to understand how to prepare astronauts for the vastness of space. As an analog astronaut, Aláine has explored Icelandic lava tubes and Hawai'ian lava fields. She has sailed from the Chilean Antarctic to Mexico to study how humans could operate on the Moon. When she's not at sea or climbing into lava tubes, Aláine works on NASA astrophysics missions. She helps predict how future missions could detect and uncover black holes that formed at the beginning of the universe, by searching for their gravitational waves in space. The closest Aláine gets to space is when she's out flying over Oahu, training as a student pilot. At four years old Aláine used to pretend to be a pilot, she is slightly better at flying planes now, but still looks up every time she hears one. Aláine believes it takes unlikely people to do unlikely things, as a non-traditional student she has found her own path in space sciences and encourages others to follow their passion! 😎

Matthew Madayag and Jhon Leo Gabion

Matthew Madayag and Jhon Leo Gabion are arm-chair engineers turned aerospace engineers at the Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory (HSFL). From late nights, nose deep into Kerbal Space Program, Star Wars, and Legos to circuit design, CAD, and totally not watching the things they have made blow up in their faces. Jhon graduated in Electrical Engineering in 2025 and has been busy keeping things fully charged with his energetic experience. When Jhon isn't working on accidentally making a bomb with a battery, he enjoys taking pictures, practicing the bass, and setting up his Minecraft server. Matthew graduated in Mechanical Engineering with an Aerospace Concentration in Fall 2024, keeping space hardware sturdy and figuring out how all the pieces fit together like fancy legos. When he isn't working on problems that are not his, he likes to be the problem. Along the way, they have both helped design and build satellites and payloads that have either already made it to space or are getting ready for liftoff. So while they may spend a lot of time working on things that are out of this world, it all started here grounded in Hawaiʻi!

Kenoi Salvador

For many people who grow up dreaming about space, NASA is the name at the top of the mission plan, but Kenoi Salvador’s trajectory has always pointed toward Japan. Born in Mitsukaido, Ibaraki, only about 15 minutes from the JAXA Tsukuba Space Center, Kenoi grew up surrounded by Japanese culture, brazen TV commercials, Domo-kun, and his favorite characters, Gachapin and Mukku. Today, he is an undergraduate Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa concentrating in Aerospace Engineering, where being a lifelong space nerd has somehow turned into building actual CubeSats and working with spacecraft systems, radios, electronics, software, and the occasional engineering leap of faith of, “Let’s just try it.” Hoping to one day return to Japan, pursue graduate studies at the Kyushu Institute of Technology, and ultimately work for JAXA, Kenoi also wants to strengthen the connection between Hawaiʻi and Japan through aerospace and culture. One of those efforts became Sato-kun, UH AIAA’s yuru-chara, who represented the organization in the 2025 and 2026 YuruVerse competitions and helped put a little piece of Hawaiʻi on the map in Japan. Kenoi hopes his story inspires others to chase the things they love, because you don’t always need your entire trajectory calculated from the start—sometimes you just need curiosity, persistence, and enough ΔV to make the next maneuver. Yoroshiku! 🚀

Star Wars Guests from the Pacific Outpost of the 501st Legion

Time: All-day

Appearances throughout the day! Try and catch a picture with them, before they come and catch you!

- https://pac501.net/

Event Map

Featured Activities

This year’s Lacy Veach Day of Discovery features 45 hands-on activities, displays, workshops, and talks led by over 40 incredible organizations with exciting disciplines! From robotics and astronomy to ocean science and creative arts, get ready to explore, build, and discover like never before!

Activity Booths List

🛰️ A-01 NASA Careers Exploration

- NASA Ames Research Center
- Discipline: Aerospace / Rocketry, Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: Learn about careers at NASA and come with questions for our NASA team in Hawai'i!

💫 A-02 Lacy's Legacy

- Hawai'i Space Grant Consortium
- Discipline: Space science / Astronomy, Earth, Environmental Science / Susatinability / Climate
- Description: Discover the story of Hawaiʻi astronaut Charles Lacy Veach through photographs and moments from his life. Then, think about your own dreams and goals as you answer the question: How would you chase after your own stars?

📸 A-03 Photobooth

- Hawai'i Space Grant Consortium
- Description: Capture the moment with friends and family at our Lacy Veach Day photobooth!

🎨 A-04 Space Passport

- Hawai'i Space Grant Consortium
- Discipline: Arts
- Description: Decorate your Space Passport and design/color your Mission Patch!

🌎 A-05 Polynesian Voyaging Society

- Discipline: Life Sciences / Biology, Hawaiian Culture / 'Aina-based learning
- Description: During the event, we will be sharing: Hawaiian Star Compass, Knot tying, Voyage for Earth pledge cards, Updates on the Moananuiākea Voyage

⛵️ A-06 MHPCS 6th & 8th Grade Sail

- Mālama Honua Public Charter School
- Discipline: Earth, Environmental Science / Sustainability / Climate, Hawaiian Culture / 'Aina-based learning, Arts
- Description: Small stamping on bookmarkers with 6th Grade & 8th Grade Sail Presentation Board

🧻 A-07 Space Toilet Mission Control

- Team Magma Robotics, Kalani High School
- Discipline: Space science / Astronomy
- Description: Step inside a realistic space toilet model designed and built by engineering students at Kalani High School. Visitors of all ages can walk through the model, interact with its features, and discover how space toilets work differently from those on Earth. This hands-on exhibit offers a closer look at the creative engineering that helps astronauts live and work in space.

🛖 A-08 Design a Dome in Space

- FAI Architects
- Discipline: Architecture
- Description: Participants will use transparent domes and assorted art materials to design and build a variety of imaginative structures, encouraging creativity, innovation, and hands-on learning.

🔋 A-09 Mission Control: Power Up

- Ronald N.S. Ho & Associates
- Discipline: Math / Physics, Finance
- Description: Three different stations: (1) Launch Pad - wire a launch pad with LEDs and make a rocket launch; (2) Countdown timer - wire up a countdown timer and LEDs to count down from 10 to 0; (3) Solar Panel Power Plant - put together a snap circuit powered by solar panels

🌱 A-10 Operation Share Aloha

- Discipline: Earth, Environmental Science / Sustainability / Climate, Math / Physics
- Description: Sharing of Sustainability Initiatives and Protect Monk Seal Video Game

👨🏻‍✈️ A-11 Fly Like A Pilot

- Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: Students will test their piloting skills and learn the four forces of flight using remote control simulators.

🚀 A-12 HonCC Space Grant Program Activities

- Honolulu Community College
- Discipline: Aerospace / Rocketry
- Description: Rockets and payloads demonstration

⚡️ A-13 DigiKey Electronics

- DigiKey
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: Giveaway merch from DigiKey. Check out Project Examples using DigiKey products.

🧪 A-14 Medical Laboratory Science: Discover the Science Behind the Diagnosis

- Dept. of Medical Technology (UHM, JABSOM)
- Discipline: Life Sciences / Biology
- Description: Check out various interactive and hands-on activities to learn about medical technologies!

🤖 A-15 Robot Drivers: Ready, Set, Move

- Hokulani Elementary - Hokubots
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: Learn how to drive and control robots while exploring how robots can be used to move different objects. They will experience with different speed, direction, and movement to successfully transport items from one location to another. Along the way, students will practice problem solving, coordination, and creative thinking as they navigate their robots through the challenge.

🤖 A-16 Nanakuli High and Intermediate Robotics Team

- Nanakuli High and Intermediate School
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology, Computer Science / Coding, Math / Physics
- Description: Demonstration of Nanakuli Robotics Team's competitive robots

🏥 A-17 CPR and Blood Pressure Tutorials

- Kalani High School Health Academy
- Discipline: Life Sciences / Biology, Healthcare: CPR and Blood Pressure
- Description: We will give all students who attend a chance to work with CPR dummies and manual Blood Pressure machines

🦾 A-18 How Do You Build a Rover?

- Team RoSE, UH Mānoa
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology, Computer Science / Coding
- Description: We’ll showcase the engineering process behind building our rover through a timeline of its development, featuring different part iterations, prototypes, and final designs. Students will be able to handle rover components and see a rover or robot drive around, making the engineering design process more hands-on and engaging.

🌖 A-19 Lunar Science at UH

- Dr. Matthew Siegler, UH HIGP
- Discipline: Space science / Astronomy

🦖 A-20 Living or Non-living?

- Leeward Community College
- Discipline: Earth, Environmental Science / Sustainability / Climate, Math / Physics
- Description: Identify specimens as a once living fossil or a non-living mineral/rock. Roll three dice and win a fossil or mineral prize based on the outcome of the roll.

🐾 A-21 Biomimicry

- Hawai'i Nature Center
- Discipline: Earth, Environmental Science / Sustainability / Climate
- Description: Biomimicry interactive activity, animal tracks

🌟 A-22 Maunakea Scholars and Working at Observatories

- Maunakea Observatories / UH Institute for Astronomy
- Discipline: Space science / Astronomy, Engineering / Robotics / Technology, Computer Science / Coding, Math / Physics
- Description: Entering it's 11th year, the Maunakea Scholars program works with teachers and students at Hawai'i Public High Schools across the state. The display will cover the basics of the program and highlight careers working at an observatory.

🐠 A-23 Ciguaterror

- Hawai'i Sea Grant
- Discipline: Earth, Environmental Science / Sustainability / Climate, Life Sciences / Biology
- Description: Our group will be sharing information about the marine environment, as well as what is ciguatera poisoning, how is it transferred in the marine environment, and work Hawai'i Sea Grant does in the Pacific Islands.

👷🏻‍♀️ A-24 Popsicle Catapults

- Pinoy in STEM, UH Mānoa
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: Learn about the UH Mānoa's Pinoy in STEM club and learn how to build a catapult

🌊 A-25 Trace Metal Treasure Hunt: Can you Survive in the Open Ocean?

- UH Mānoa SOEST
- Discipline: Earth, Environmental Science / Sustainability / Climate, Life Sciences / Biology
- Description: A table top activity will demonstrate a principle or topic related to ocean, earth, atmospheric or space science

🛩️ A-26 Civil Air Patrol

- Discipline: Space science / Astronomy, Aerospace / Rocketry
- Description: Promoting aerospace education, emergency services and leadership to the youth.

🚀 A-27 Model Rocketry

- Hawaii Rockets
- Discipline: Aerospace / Rocketry
- Description: Display of numerous hand-built model rockets. Experienced rocketeers to talk with visitors to the booth, showing the rockets, explaining how they work, where they can be flown, how to join the group. Get your picture taken with "Neil Armstrong".

✈️ A-28 Paper Airplanes

- UH Mānoa College of Engineering
- Discipline: Aerospace / Rocketry, Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: Participants will be given paper and be tasked with creating paper airplanes and flying it through holes in a tri-fold board of various sizes

💡 A-29 Introduction to Circuits

- IEEE Hawai'i
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: Participants will learn about and build electronic circuits using Snap Circuits. Snap Circuits don't require any soldering and provide an interactive introduction to electronics, including switches, lights, batteries, resistors, and more.

🔌 A-30 Playdoh Circuits

- UHM Society of Women Engineers
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: Teaching the basics of circuits using Playdoh

⚓️ A-31 USS Missouri Memorial Education Programs

- USS Missouri Memorial Association
- Discipline: Math / Physics
- Description: Meet the Mighty Mo Education Team: Come meet the Mighty Mo Education Team and discover the educational programs available aboard the Battleship Missouri! While you're here, try our Plinko board for a chance to win a prize!

💵 A-32 Financial Mission Control

- New York Life
- Discipline: Math / Physics, Finance
- Description: Financial Mission Control: Chase Your Star is a hands-on activity where kids receive 10 Space Credits to equip their spacecraft for an unpredictable journey. They choose what gear to buy, save any leftover credits for emergencies, then spin the Space Event Wheel to see whether their choices prepared them for what happens. Through play, students learn about budgeting, probability, risk, planning, and making choices with limited resources. They finish by identifying a personal goal—their own “star” to chase.

⛰️ A-33 Navy Closure Task Force Red Hill

- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: Tank display

🧭 A-34 How Do Compasses Work?

- UH Native Hawaiian Science and Engineering Mentorship Program (NHSEMP)
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology, Math / Physics
- Description: Learn how compasses work by building a rudimentary compass from small neodymium magnets that face towards a magnetic pole!

🚀 A-35 CubeSat Magnet Tiles, Straw Rockets, Craftable Satellites/Airplanes

- Hawai'i Space Flight Lab / UH Mānoa AIAA
- Discipline: Space science / Astronomy, Aerospace / Rocketry
- Description: Come and build satellites or paper planes to take home or launch straw rockets to hit targets. Learn more about AIAA at UH Mānoa and the Hawai'i Space Flight Lab program!

🌊 A-36 Hawaiian and US Navy Navigation: Finding Your Way by Sea and Stars

- Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum
- Discipline: Hawaiian Culture / 'Aina-based learning
- Description: Students learn to compare and contrast Hawaiian navigation and US navigation across tools, techniques and training. Connect navigation practices to their historical, cultural, and spiritual meanings.

☀️ A-37 Solar Telescope Viewing

- Stargazers of Hawaii
- Discipline: Space science / Astronomy
- Description: Attendees will get to safely view the surface of the sun and it's sunspots through solar telescopes.

🔭 A-38 Telescope Viewing

- Hawaiian Astronomical Society
- Discipline: Space science / Astronomy
- Description: solar viewing through telescope, weather permitting

🪐 A-39 Exoplanet Gachapon

- UH Institute for Astronomy
- Discipline: Space science / Astronomy
- Description: Imagine another world and decorate your own planet to take home!

Planetarium List (Tickets Required)

P-01 U.H. Institute for Astronomy

P-02 Bishop Museum

Workshop List (Tickets Required)

🚁 W-01 Mission to the Sky: Take Flight with CoDrones!

- Team Magma Robotics, Kalani High School
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology, Computer Science / Coding
- Description: Take Flight with CoDrones is a hands-on workshop where students will explore coding and drone technology. Participants will program, fly, and interact with CoDrones while learning how all the systems work together to control flight. No prior experience is needed. Come ready to try something new, experiment with code, and see your drone take flight!

☀️ W-02 Solar Fan

- Hawaiian Electric
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: Harness the power of the sun and bring engineering to life! In this hands-on workshop, students will build their own solar-powered fan while learning how solar energy is converted into electricity. Discover renewable energy concepts, explore basic circuits, and watch your fan spin using nothing but sunshine!

🛰️ W-03 Build an Avionics Wire Harness

- UH Mānoa Hawai'i Space Flight Laboratory
- Discipline: Aerospace / Rocketry, Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: Learn to build a wire harness for a spacecraft! Students will learn basic aerospace industry practices for wire harness fabrication, including bundling, stripping, crimping, assembling, and testing their harness for continuity. Get hands-on and build the same kind of wiring systems that help spacecraft power up, communicate, and complete missions in space!

🤖 W-04 Robotics Lab - Build Your Own Doodle Robot

- Burns & McDonnell
- Discipline: Engineering / Robotics / Technology
- Description: We will challenge students to practice their wiring skills, understanding power, connections, and the inner workings of a simple robot. Students will each build their own robot powered by a single battery and armed with markers to doodle away.

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