Johnsville Centrifuge & Science Museum Hosts Annual Gala Saturday

The excitement of Friday's movement of the Space Shuttle Enterprise from Virginia to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York City is the perfect opportunity to remind everybody the important role that Warminster played in the United States space program.

The research labs and centrifuge at the Naval Air Development Center trained the Mercury and Apollo astronauts for their missions, including John Glenn, Alan Shepard and Neil Armstrong.

The NADC closed up shop in the mid-'90s, but the legacy lives on through the efforts of the Johnsville Centrifuge & Science Museum. The museum made a major splash last year when it brought home the from the Smithsonian and maintains a major presence at several community events around Warminster.

The organization will hold its annual fundraising gala on Saturday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the VE Club on Davisville Road (tickets cost $65). The evening will include an appearance by Dwayne A. Day, a space historian and senior program officer for the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences.

The Johnsville Centrifuge & Science Museum used to host monthly tours at the former research building, but lease disputes with the building's owner has put the tours on indefinite hold.

While the members of the museum search for a permanent place to call home, they have focused on educational outreach efforts by traveling around the area. On April 21, they were special guests at the New Jersey State Museum's Super Science Saturday program.