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The current exhibition at the Science Museum of Virginia, “Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience,” is trailblazing in many ways. While paying tribute to the history of space exploration and the milestones reached, this traveling exhibition probes the future of space exploration and the discoveries that may lie before us.
The exhibition features dozens of hand-on stations where visitors can explore the fascinating and thought-provoking environment of space. Interactive elements are included to help visitors learn through play, as well as NASA video footage that highlights both the challenges and accomplishments of space exploration.
“One element of the exhibition highlights the dangers of space exploration and the challenges of living in space,” said Science Museum astronomer Justin Bartel. “This exhibition features displays that illustrate how we have tried to solve those problems and the feats of engineers and scientists with a mission to protect and empower astronauts. Examples include a display of the different layers of a space suit that protects the astronauts from dangers such as radiation and temperature extremes, and visitors will also have an opportunity to try on an astronaut’s glove.”
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The exhibition also includes the science of getting to space, such as the physics of the launch and the power needed on a spacecraft. Guests can use a 16-foot drop tower to investigate how different objects behave differently in a weightless environment. The displays will also include a tabletop demonstration of the balance of speed and gravity that makes it possible to stay in orbit around the Earth (or another world).
The exploration of aspects of living and working in space is enhanced by displays of the International Space Station, which has been in orbit around the Earth for two decades. One display features a doll-house-sized model of the complete station and all its nodes and attachments. Another display, which is certain to make a powerful impression, is a life-sized replica of the ISS Destiny Lab, which is a larger module, and one of the primary workspaces for the station’s crew of seven. Visitors can enter the lab to experience a four-minute tour as the module rotates around them. This motion mimics the aspect of weightlessness that involves a constantly shifting perspective.
“It is striking to realize that this big lab is just one piece of the ISS. As they explore the lab, visitors gain a sense of the actual size of the entire space station,” said Jennifer Guild, Science Museum Communications and Curiosity Director. “The exhibition also reveals the answers to questions about how astronauts in space, eat, sleep—and go to the bathroom!”
The longer-term experimentation aboard the ISS is significant not only because it is an achievement in itself, but also for the role it can serve in progressing to the next stage of space exploration, residing in an extraterrestrial outpost for a prolonged period. In fact, NASA’s Artemis program, which is currently underway, has a goal of establishing a sustainable presence on the moon to prepare for missions to Mars.
“If you are talking about living and working in space, you have to talk about the International Space Station,” Bartel said. “Many of our other space explorations had a specific mission to go somewhere, do something, and return. With the ISS, we are witnessing people continually occupying a space vehicle for more than 20 years.”
A series of questions and discussion topics are presented to guests as they leave the exhibition.
“This can spark conversations among families about space that will continue long after they leave the Science Museum,” said Bartel. “Our journey to space is ongoing, and there is so much that is yet to be discovered. Everyone can dream big when it comes to pondering what the future might hold in our lifetime, and for centuries to come.”
Throughout the summer, the Science Museum of Virginia will also feature a spectrum of programs and activities related to the “Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience” exhibition, including experiments in The Forge makerspace, Science After Dark gatherings, and special films in The Dome, a state-of-the-art theater and planetarium. Featured films are “We Are Guardians,” which gives insights about the way in which ecosystems are intrinsically connected, and “Astronaut: Ocean to Orbit,” which reveals the high-tech ways that NASA uses subaquatic environments to mimic life and work in space. Each showing of a film will be followed by a live journey through the cosmos presentation by one of the Science Museum’s astronomers.
The “Space” exhibition was designed and developed by the Science Museum of Minnesota, in partnership with the International Space Station Office of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the California Science Center and partner museums.
