boosters (SRBs) that, when vertically mated with a high-fidelity model of the external tank (ET), will form a dramatic, 184-foot-tall gateway under which visitors will pass to visit
the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction. (Photo: NASA)
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Thursday marked a visible milestone on its countdown toward the June 29 grand opening of Space Shuttle Atlantis, the $100 million home of the historic Atlantis spacecraft that tells the incredible story of NASA’s 30-year Space Shuttle Program.
Using a 200-foot-tall crane, the construction crew successfully installed lower portions of two full-size, high-fidelity solid rocket boosters (SRBs) that, when vertically mated with a high-fidelity model of the external tank (ET), will form a dramatic, 184-foot-tall gateway under which visitors will pass to visit the Space Shuttle Atlantis attraction.
When completely assembled, the two 12-foot-wide SRBs will stand 149 feet tall, or half the length of an American football field.
“It’s one thing for us to announce details and statistics about Space Shuttle Atlantis and its dramatic, 184-foot-tall entrance, but it is quite another to actually be here in person, standing at the foot of these absolutely massive high-fidelity space shuttle components,” said Bill Moore, chief operating officer of Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. “Starting June 29, visitors will be able to get up close to the boosters and external tank in a way that only NASA personnel have been able to experience before. Should guests stop for just a moment and imagine the brave astronauts inside Atlantis, strapped to these explosive, fuel-filled SRBs and ET and rocketing into space, goose bumps are guaranteed. And that’s before guests even set foot inside.”
Space Shuttle Atlantis will do more than showcase the priceless aircraft that flew in space 33 times — state-of-the-art multimedia presentations and more than 60 interactive exhibits and high-tech simulators will bring to life the complex components and systems behind this incredible feat of engineering. One of the most complicated and sophisticated pieces of equipment ever built, the shuttle was a vehicle that launched like a rocket, flew in orbit like a spacecraft and landed on a runway like a glider. The immersive experience also will shine a spotlight on the astounding achievements made over the course of the 30-year Space Shuttle Program, most notably, the building of the International Space Station and the launch and maintenance of the Hubble Space Telescope. The 90,000-square-foot Space Shuttle Atlantis is the marquee element of the Visitor Complex’s 10-year master plan by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, which has operated Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for NASA since 1995.
