Oklahoma Space Week Connects 1,000 Students With Aerospace Careers

TUSA, Okla. –

More than 1,000 students from 12 northeast Oklahoma school districts will meet aerospace professionals during Space Week 2026, with events scheduled Oct. 5-9 in Tulsa, Colcord and Stillwater.

The week includes school visits, hands-on field trips and a free community event featuring former NASA astronaut John B. Herrington and NASA aerospace engineer Naia Butler-Craig.

Astronaut John Herrington visits Oklahoma students

Herrington, an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation who was born in Wetumka, is recognized by NASA as the first citizen of a federally recognized tribe to fly in space. He flew aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station and completed three spacewalks.

Herrington will visit Patrick Henry Elementary in Tulsa and Colcord Elementary & Middle School on Monday. He will also participate in Tuesday field trips and the free Siegfried Community Night at Discovery Lab in Tulsa.

NASA engineer joins Tulsa, Stillwater field trips

Butler-Craig, an aerospace engineer at NASA Glenn Research Center, will meet students during Tulsa field trips Wednesday and Stillwater field trips Thursday and Friday.

The week will also involve Oklahoma pre-K-12 educators trained through the NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium.

Space Week schedule:

Oct. 5: School outreach in Tulsa and ColcordOct. 6-7: Field trips at Discovery Lab in TulsaOct. 6, 6-8 p.m.: Free community night at Discovery LabOct. 8-9: Field trips at Stillwater Community Center