NASA to open new spaceport

"Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex" will be launched on June 15 with visitors invited to glimpse into the future of space travel.

"The Gateway is the 'new and next' for NASA and the space industry. We really focused on what's going on now and what's going on for the future with many of the space partners.

"But then as you journey up [into the building], you go into the other piece of the attraction, which is 'Spaceport KSC,' which is what we think a spaceport will look like in the future.

"[The project] is very much focused on the educational aspect of what is next for NASA and the space industry through these interactions”, explained Therrin Protze, chief operating officer for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

The 4,600 square meters multi-level Gateway interactive exhibition will focus on past and present spacecraft, with a display of an impressive collection of authentic or full-scale models of several mission vehicles or parts.

On the first floor, visitors can enjoy the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 capsule, an Aerojet Rocketdyne RL-10 engine, the powerhouse of the Artemis Space Launch System, a Lockheed Martin deep space replica, SpaceX's first Dragon capsule, a simulator for Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, a model of Sierra Space's Dream Chaser space plane and many more.

The exhibition is meant to present to the public the advances of the spaceflight industry.

"We made it so it can evolve. As new things come available and we continue to work with the space partners, we can change those exhibits", added Therrin Protze.

On the second floor, guests encounter a digital wall displaying information on various satellites and space probes, as well as the HoloTube exhibit featuring visuals about NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.

Finally, the agency’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex welcomes visitors with an airport of the future offering an immersive experience as well as boarding to four destinations: Cosmic Wonders, Daring Explorers, Red Planet and Uncharted Worlds.

"There are four different gates, and you can take four different journeys on a simulated spaceflight. You load onto a simulated space plane and you get a safety video and then a unique dome experience, a 4D experience, that takes you on a journey while you learn all about the solar system," Protze explained.

Each trip lasts for four and a half minutes and can be enjoyed by 22 people at a time.

Gateway will also feature the Space Bowl Bistro restaurant offering delicious dishes for all space enthusiasts’ tastes.

The opening of the new "Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex” is set for June 15.

 

Source: space.com