Liftoff: Red Rock to Red Planet with Astronaut Steve Swanson

Utah Tech University welcomes retired NASA astronaut Steve Swanson for Liftoff: Red Rock to Red Planet, a celebration of aerospace in Southern Utah, on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the America First Performing Arts Center in St. George. Space-themed activities for all ages run from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and Swanson gives a keynote address followed by a question-and-answer session at 6:45 p.m. Admission is free. The university says the evening is a chance for everyone from second graders to grandparents to meet an astronaut, launch a rocket and get hands-on with the science behind spaceflight. Swanson flew as a mission specialist, completed four spacewalks totaling 26 hours and 22 minutes, and logged more than 195 days in space. Todd Brightwell of the Southern Utah Economic Alliance and Chris Metts of 47G's Project Alta will also open Hard Tech Week, a statewide celebration of aerospace, defense and advanced manufacturing running October 26 to 30. Sponsors include RAM Aerospace, AMPAC and Baxter Aerospace. For more family outings this month, see our Halloween events guide.