Inspiring future astronauts to reach for the stars

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (FOX 5 NY) - Visitors to the Cradle of Aviation Museum on Long Island can learn everything they ever wanted to know about the history of space exploration. But the museum also focuses on a new generation.

"It's important for us to encourage young women and men to want to see careers in aerospace, whether they are pilots or engineers, doctors, scientists," Executive Director Jennifer Baxmeyer said, "and then hopefully want to go out and do those jobs in outer space."

Baxmeyer said that this is a particularly interesting time for space, with the Trump administration's push towards returning U.S. astronauts to the moon. NASA recently released more details on the 2024 mission, called Artemis. Plans include sending the first woman to the moon.

"You're getting more and more role models for women and young girls to connect with," Baxmeyer said. "So hopefully that will excite people to go and choose these careers as well."