Countdown Begins: Unprecedented $60 Million Shuttle Ride Soon to Blast Off
It’s 3…2…1… as NASA’s Visitor Complex at Kennedy Space Center announces the Memorial Day weekend opening of Shuttle Launch Experience. This authentic $60 million launch simulation will open May 25, 2007, taking visitors on their own journey of the space shuttle’s voyage to Earth’s orbit. Under the guidance of NASA and veteran space shuttle astronauts, this unprecedented experience duplicates the sights, sounds and sensations of launching into space fully vertical in launch mode position.
Shuttle Launch Experience, three years in the making, will take visitors through the sensations of launching into Earth’s orbit from the birthplace of U.S. space exploration — Kennedy Space Center. A team of astronauts, NASA experts and renowned attraction designers conceived this authentic ride experience, deploying sophisticated motion technology, special effects seats and high fidelity visual and audio presentations.
“Shuttle Launch Experience will forge a lasting impression for everyone, especially those who have seen the power of a shuttle launch and imagined the adventure of flying in the most complex machine ever made,” said Daniel LeBlanc, Chief Operating Officer of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. “Not only will guests experience the thrill of launching into space, they will marvel at the view of Earth from space, through state-of-the-art technology.”
Shuttle Launch Experience combines the detailed accounts of astronaut experiences with the expertise of premiere design engineers to produce a ride unique to theme parks around the world. The attraction’s technical highlights include authentic simulation of the space shuttle’s eight and a half minute launch into orbit, custom-designed crew pods with unprecedented vertical range, high-definition audiovisual effects, and advanced seating effects to maximize the reality of the experience.
The journey begins as visitors enter the Shuttle Launch Simulation Facility, architecturally inspired by space shuttle facilities at Kennedy Space Center. As visitors ascend along the gantry, astronaut testimonials set the stage for what is to come. Entering the heart of shuttle operations for the pre-launch briefing, crew members are guided by veteran Shuttle Commander Charlie Bolden as he takes them step-by-step through the launch sequence. They then enter the crew pod in the shuttle’s cargo bay and strap in for launch. For the next five minutes, the pod’s 44 passengers see, feel and live the trip to 17,500 mph. As the shuttle bay doors open, what follows is a breathtaking view of Earth seldom seen in the first person.
A team of attraction experts have designed and engineered Shuttle Launch Experience into the most realistic launch simulation ever created. Shuttle Launch Experience is designed by BRC Imagination Arts, who also designed the Visitor Complex’s Apollo/Saturn V Center which opened in 1997. BRPH Companies Inc. serves as the architect and construction manager. The crew pod simulator fabrication is by Oceaneering. The ride concept designer and engineer is The Wheel Thing, Inc. Technomedia Solutions is providing audio, visual and show control. HW Davis Construction is the general contractor of the facility.
About Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Inspired by real NASA initiatives and fueled by the human spirit, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is charting a new course to bring far-reaching NASA exploration events and triumphs to visitors — up close and personal. The journey takes NASA’s space exploration story to the next level through new technology and interactive experiences.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has been operated by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts on behalf of NASA since 1995. More than 1.4 million visitors annually tour Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the gateway to a working space center and one of Florida’s most popular destinations. Admission includes inspiring tours venturing deep into NASA’s spaceport facilities, daily Astronaut Encounters, towering rockets, IMAX® space films and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame®. For more information, call 321-449-4444 or visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com
