One of eight publicly available moon rocks visited Rapid City on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The rock, collected in 1972, is part of the "NASA: Driven to Explore" traveling exhibit at The Journey Museum.

The exhibit is designed to inform the public about new projects at NASA, particularly the next generation of launch vehicles. In addition to the Apollo 17 moon rock, models of the Ares I and Ares V rockets, part of NASA's Constellation program to perfect a new lunar lander, are on display. The exhibit, based out of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, began its nationwide tour in April. The trailer also houses a launch timeline, from the early Mercury and Gemini projects to the shuttle missions, and a video about building the International Space Station.

"We are on the road for a month and a half at a time," Rob Gordon said. Gordon's 22 years with NASA public affairs has given him the chance to see much of the country.

"We stop in about five cities in every state before we go back to Houston, make any repairs, clean the trailer and go back on the road," he said. "I've been doing this long enough, I pretty much get to pick where I go. I'd never been to South Dakota before."

After its turn in Rapid City, "Driven to Explore" will stop in Kadoka, Aberdeen and Brookings, before heading for Nebraska.

The exhibit's first night in Rapid City was coordinated with the premiere of "Journey into Space," the museum's new 3-D space exhibit.

"We had more adults here last night," Gordon said. "But today, it's been half and half."

The all-ages presentation offers something for everyone. Inquisitive children are joined by their parents who still dream of going to the moon.

"We used to live in Florida, near the space center," Mandy Kulbel said. "So we thought we'd bring the kids out to see this. My husband is very into it."

Steve Grinde, her husband, smiled.

"Space exploration," he said. "It's not often you get to touch a piece of the moon."

The moon rock itself is encased in front of a video screen showing highlights of the Apollo missions. Its smooth grayness gives no indication of its 3 billion-year existence or 238,857-mile trip it made just to get to Earth.

Grinde's excitement has transferred to his children, Hannah, 9, and Gabby, 3. Hannah continued to ask questions inside and out of the trailer: How many rockets have launched? And how many came back?

"My dad is teaching me about the planets," Hannah Grinde said. Her questions kept the visitors from NASA busy for longer than the t10 minutes it takes the average viewer to partake of the exhibit.

Rob Gordon then pointed the family to a computer screen where they could have a close-up picture of their faces taken and placed inside an astronaut's helmet and set in front of a variety of space-themed backgrounds.

"Choosing the background is the hardest part," Gordon said.

Gordon smiles at everyone who comes by, inviting them to check out the variety of pamphlets and children's activity books.

"One woman last night asked me if I was worried about competition," he said. "I guess there's a fair going on. We'll do all right."