This year marks the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s “one small step” on the surface of our celestial neighbor, the Moon. How did we accomplish one of mankind’s greatest achievements in under a decade, and what did we learn from the Apollo program? With digitally restored footage and hands-on demonstrations, Philip Blanco, Ph.D. will take us back to the Moon and discuss current and future plans to return, this time not just to leave flags and footprints, but perhaps to stay. Dr. Blanco’s interest in space and astronomy was inspired by his earliest memories of the Apollo landings, and his father’s explosive backyard chemistry experiments. After obtaining his Ph.D. in Astronomy at the University of Edinburgh, he continued his research on active galaxies at UCSD, and worked under contract to NASA on the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer satellite. He is currently a professor in the astronomy department of Grossmont College, and volunteers with colleagues at SDSU to develop the latest technologies for astronomy education.