Tickets Still Available for Centrifuge Gala

It took countless failed experiments and test runs, but the scientists and astronauts associated with the original Mercury and Apollo missions persevered through the adversity and eventually, famously, put a man in space and a man on the moon.

Their goals may not be quite as lofty as those original pioneers, but the members of the Johnsville Centrifuge and Science Museum are equally determined to find a permanent home for its growing collection of exhibits and artifacts. The organization had originally set up in the centrifuge building on the grounds of the former Naval Air Development Center in Warminster. A dispute with the building's owner led to the group forced out of the property and without a headquarters.

"We lost our high visibility when we left the building," said Mike Maguire, president of the Johnsville Centrifuge and Science Museum board. "We have a lot of things to resolve before we can find a new home."

The biggest issue is building up enough capital to purchase or lease some space. One major tool for this problem has become the museum's annual Spring Gala fundraiser. Tickets are still available for Saturday's event, held at the Vereinigung Erzgebirge Club from 6 to 10 p.m. The night's special guests will be four of the original Tuskegee Airmen.

"Both of our groups have the same goal of getting young people more interested in aviation and technology," said Maguire.

The money raised will help not only with finding a new home, but also funding the efforts to put a roof over the original centrifuge gondola used to train NASA astronauts. The Johnsville Centrifuge and Science Museum acquired the capsule from the Smithsonian in 2011. It now sits near the Penn State anechoic chamber on Bristol Road.

"We've gone through three designs for a pavilion," said Maguire. "There's a long way to go before it happens. The plan is to have it built at Warminster Park. When we get our permament home, we would donate the pavilion back to the township."

The lack of a permanent space has not slowed down the museum's efforts to expand awareness of Warminster's role in the original NASA programs, which used the NADC as a training facility for all of the Mercury and Apollo astronauts, including John Glenn and Neil Armstrong.

The traveling exhibits have been featured at the Bucks County Visitors Center, the Northampton Public Library, the Wings of Freedom Museum, the Franklin Institute and the Trenton State Museum. An educational program has also been presented to children throughout the region, in classrooms and boy and girl scout meetings.

"The educational presentations have kept us pretty busy," said Maguire. "We have about two to four booked per month. The kids like to see all the artifacts."

The Johnsville Centrifuge and Science Museum's Spring Gala will be held at Vereinigung Erzgebirge Club on Saturday, June 8 from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets cost $65 or $520 for a table of 8. Those interested can contact Mike Maguire at nadcmuseum@comcast.net.