‘Strap yourself in and feel the Gs’: NASA announces ‘Max Power’ aerospace expo

NASA will hold a two-day aerospace exposition this November, and it may draw a surprising number of “Simpsons” fans.

The event, which NASA announced today (Aug. 14), will be held Nov. 7 and Nov. 8 at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Florida’s Space Coast. It’s called “Max Power,” which is also a famous Homer Simpson pseudonym.

In the 13th episode of the show’s 10th season, which first aired in February 1999, Homer legally changed his name to Max Power. He wanted to disassociate himself from a bumbling character on the (fictional) TV show “Police Cops” who shared his given moniker.

Homer made the switch to Max Power — which he said he got off a hair dryer — without consulting his family, a move that did not go over well.

“Wait a minute!” his dad protested. “The family name is my legacy to you. I got it from my father, and he got it from his father, and he traded a mule for it. And that mule went on to save spring break.”

Homer’s wife Marge was also displeased.

“But I fell in love with Homer Simpson,” she said. “I don’t want to snuggle with Max Power.”

“Nobody snuggles with Max Power,” Homer — or rather Max — responded. “You strap yourself in and feel the Gs!”

NASA’s Max Power expo is about feeling the Gs as well, at least in part.

“The two-day event will feature immersive experiences for all ages to enjoy, including air shows, skydiving stunts, technology demonstrations, spaceflight hardware, military aircraft and behind‑the‑scenes access to America’s spaceport,” agency officials wrote in a description of the expo. “Attend talks led by NASA experts and meet astronauts from some of agency’s most famous missions!”

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, an accomplished pilot as well as a private astronaut, said that he plans to participate in the expo’s air show. And, if you’re unable to attend this November, you’ll likely have other chances down the road.

“Certainly, the idea is that this event, Max Power, becomes the first of many,” Isaacman said during a press conference today.

Michael Wall is the Spaceflight and Tech Editor for Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers human and robotic spaceflight, military space, and exoplanets, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, “Out There,” was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.