WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB — The National Museum of the United States Air Force unveiled a new space exhibit Thursday morning.
The interactive “SPACE: A Journey to Our Future” enables visitors to gain the experience of past explorations and future destiny in space through 20 interactive displays that take about one hour to complete. Created by Evergreen Exhibitions, according to a press release, the exhibit was designed to develop imaginations by creating the desire for space exploration and discovery and also lead to new generations of explorers to dream of the possibilities that lie ahead, according to museum officials.
“I want kids to be excited about space,” said Evergreen Lead Technician Dave Thompson.
One of the exhibit’s main features are rocks from the moon and Mars that visitors can touch. While walking through a full-size habitat and work pod, visitors will be able to explore a Mars Base Camp.
Another feature is a centrifuge, powered in the formation of a bicycle, that visitors can lie in and try out. The exhibit also provides a personal, face-to-face look at multiple artifacts from the space program. Examining future explorations of the universe plays a role in the exhibit too.
“Hopefully, people are inspired,” said National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Education Chief Mike Brimmer.
Exhibit content is provided by NASA and the National Science Teachers Association with support from the Air Force Museum Foundation and Dayton Aerospace, Inc.
While the exhibit is on display, COVID-19 safety precautions will be followed. Gloves will be issued to each visitor who interacts with the exhibit. Throughout each day, the exhibit will be cleaned and sanitized. During their visit to the museum, visitors ages three and up are required to wear masks.
“SPACE: A Journey to Our Future” debut in Seattle, Wash., in 2003. It arrives in four semi-trucks and a crew of 6-8 people is needed to construct it, which takes about two-week. Once the time for the exhibit comes to an end, it will take five and a half days to pack it up.
The exhibit is open through Monday, Sept. 6 (Labor Day) in the museum’s fourth building.
