Space Shuttle Atlantis Opening June 29 at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
The world’s most comprehensive attraction devoted to the space shuttle, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s new Space Shuttle AtlantisSM will open to visitors for the first time on June 29th, 2013.
The new attraction will bring visitors nose-to-nose with the priceless Atlantis spacecraft as only astronauts have seen it before – with payload bay doors open as if it were floating in space. More than 60 interactive, touch-screen experiences and high-tech simulators invite guests to “be the astronaut,” bringing to life the people, passion and patriotism behind NASA’s 30-year Space Shuttle Program as well as the complexity of the engineering marvel that launched the Hubble Space Telescope and built the International Space Station (ISS).
Guests will be able to conduct a virtual EVA or extravehicular activity; practice docking to the ISS; extract cargo from the payload bay; create sonic booms and glide to a landing on the Re-entry Slide; experience the sensation of floating in space; explore a high-fidelity replica of the ISS; virtually mate Atlantis to the external tank; kick up a virtual chemical reaction to launch the shuttle; get an “X-ray view” of Atlantis’ interior; experience an orbital sunrise; strap in to the sights, sounds and sensations of a shuttle launch; take the helm at the shuttle cockpit, and much more.
The new attraction will now be the center piece for visitors wishing to learn more about American space travel. It will add yet more value to an already packed experience when you visit the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
