24.03.2025
Apollo 16 Moonwalker CHARLIE DUKE, one of four living astronauts who has walked on the moon, to participate in the U.S. Debut of STARMUS at
EARTH to SPACE: Arts Breaking the Sky,
a Three-Week International Festival of Artistic Discovery and the Exploration of Our Universe
(WASHINGTON)—The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces astronaut and Apollo 16 moonwalker Charlie Duke will participate in EARTH to SPACE: Arts Breaking the Sky, a three-week festival of live performances, films, art, interactive exhibits, and discussions designed to ignite a sense of awe at the marvels of the universe.
Duke replaces the previously announced Col. Chris Hadfield in two events that are part of STARMUS, the renowned global festival of science, music, and art, that is partnering with EARTH to SPACE for its U.S. debut. This special edition of STARMUS will launch on April 1 with a performance featuring Charlie Duke, the STARMUS All Stars band, STARMUS cofounder and astrophysicist Garik Israelian, and quantum mind reader David Zambuka. The launch event will also showcase the Kennedy Center’s Youth Ambassador for the Arts & Environment, Aneeshwar Kunchala; the Capitol Hill Chorale; and dance by the members of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy with Debbie Allen, inspired by a poem written by her mother Vivian Ayers Allen, who was one of NASA’s “hidden figures.” Then, on April 2, Duke will participate in a special conversation titled STARMUS: From Earth to the Stars, with fellow astronaut Nicole Stott. Other STARMUS programs will include Nobel Laureate speakers, talks from astronauts, and film screenings. Throughout the festival, Duke can also be see in the 360-degree film experience, The Moonwalkers, making its U.S. debut at the Kennedy Center.
From March 28 to April 20, 2025, EARTH to SPACE will transform the Kennedy Center into an immersive hub of discovery, where musicians come together with astronauts, poets with physicists, and visual artists with engineers, engaging visitors of all ages to explore new perspectives on the natural world.
EARTH to SPACE is the third installment of the Kennedy Center’s decade-long initiative dedicated to arts and nature. Inspired by the vision of President Kennedy, who mobilized the country to achieve the first Moon landing in 1969, EARTH to SPACE will transform the Center into an arena where creative expression and scientific inquiry spark fresh ideas.
Through vibrant partnerships, EARTH to SPACE will bring together an extraordinary global community, with participants representing countries across six continents sharing their knowledge and creativity in ways that inspire new perspectives, while demonstrating how diverse cultures contribute to understanding both Earth and the cosmos. Featuring numerous world premieres, inspiring panel conversations with leading figures from the arts and sciences, and immersive exhibits, EARTH to SPACE will invite audiences to reimagine the universal nature of exploration and innovation.
Charles M Duke, NASA
About Charlie Duke
Charlie Duke participated as Orion lunar module pilot on the Apollo 16 mission in 1972 and explored Descartes. The Apollo 16 mission is considered one of the most successful, due to the number of experiments performed on lunar terrain and the amount of rocky material brought to Earth. Apollo 16 (April 16–27, 1972) was launched from John F. Kennedy Space Center and was the fifth manned lunar landing mission. The crew consisted of John W. Young as Commander, Ken Mattingly as Command Module Pilot, and Duke as Lunar Module Pilot. Apollo 16 was the first scientific expedition to inspect, survey, and sample materials and surface features in the Descartes region of the rugged lunar highlands. John Young commenced the then-record setting lunar surface stay of 71 hours and 14 minutes by maneuvering the lunar module Orion to a landing on the rough Cayley Plains. In three subsequent excursions onto the lunar surface, he logged 20 hours and 15 minutes in extravehicular activities involving the emplacement and activation of scientific equipment and experiments, the collection of nearly 213 lb (96 kg) of rock and soil samples, and the evaluation and use of Rover-2 over the roughest surface yet encountered on the moon. Other Apollo 16 achievements included the largest payload placed in lunar orbit (76,109 lb or 34,595 kg); first cosmic ray detector deployed on the lunar surface; first lunar observatory with the far UV camera; and longest in-flight EVA from a command module during transearth coast (1 hour and 13 minutes). The Apollo 16 mission was concluded with a Pacific Ocean splashdown and subsequent recovery by USS Ticonderoga.
About The Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is America’s living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, attracting millions of visitors each year to more than 2,000 performances, events, and exhibits. With its artistic affiliates, the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera, the Center is one of the nation’s busiest performing arts centers, dedicated to providing world-class art, powerful education, and outstanding memorial experiences to the broadest possible constituency. Across all its offerings, the Kennedy Center is committed to increasing accessible opportunities for all people to participate in and learn through the arts, including more than 400 free performances each year and a variety of MyTix opportunities for students, young professionals, active-duty service members, first responders, and others to obtain discounted tickets. On September 7, 2019, the Kennedy Center inaugurated the REACH, its first-ever major expansion. Designed by Steven Holl Associates, the REACH provides visitors with new opportunities to interact and engage with the Center as the nation’s premier nexus of arts, learning, and culture. On September 8, 2022, the Kennedy Center unveiled Art and Ideals: President John F. Kennedy, a new 7,500-square-foot permanent exhibit exploring Kennedy’s presidency and his commitment to the arts. To learn more about the Kennedy Center, please visit www.kennedy-center.org.
Quelle: Kennedy Center