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 / Modified jun 15, 2017 4:50 p.m.

Astronauts and Aficionados Enter Tucson's Orbit for Spacefest

Experts and fans rub shoulders during space-themed weekend. by Sara Hammond

Stott Hartmann Space artists retired astronaut Nicole Stott and planetary scientist William Hartmann of Tucson meet at Spacefest VIII.
Sara Hammond, AZPM

Tucson recently was the scene of a space invasion, with former astronauts, space artists, scientists, fiction writers and space geeks here for the eighth edition of Spacefest.

Nicole Stott VIEW LARGER Retired astronaut and space artist Nicole Stott at Spacefest VIII in Tucson with an artistic space suit that went to the International Space Station.
Sara Hammond, AZPM

Festival participants

Kara Sircy of Knoxville, Tennessee, the daughter of a former Space Shuttle contractor and space "fan girl."

James Hansen, a history professor at Auburn University in Alabama and author of the only authorized biography of Neil Armstrong, "First Man."

Nicole Stott, a two-time astronaut and now a space artist.

Riki Goss, a 10-year-old from Santa Barbara, California, who is interested in the mysteries of space.

Emily Carney of St. Petersburg, Florida, an author and founder of the Facebook group Space Hipsters.

Arizona Science Desk
This story is from the Arizona Science Desk, a collaborative of the state's public radio stations, including NPR 89.1. Read more from the Arizona Science Desk.
MORE: Astronomy, Arizona Science Desk, History, News, Planetary Science, Science, Space Exploration, Space Science, Tucson
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