by Since they were the naval ships that recovered the Apollo crews and spacecraft after they splashed down from the moon, it’s fitting that the largest temporary display the Intrepid has ever hosted – a converted aircraft carrier – would be the theme of the first landing. moon
The museum, which has been docked since 1982 on the west side of Manhattan, is home to “Apollo: When We Went to the Moon,” a sprawling exhibit that “highlights the fascinating history of humanity’s journey across our home planet and the extraordinary individuals who . he made it happen.” And while the USS Intrepid was not involved in the Apollo recovery (it brought home the second Mercury orbiter and the first piloted Gemini capsules), it is now a world-class sea, air and space museum and home to ‘NASA’s prototype space shuttle orbiter. .
“‘Apollo’ focuses deeply on how humans continued to go to the moon and to space in general,” said Kate Good, curator of space at the Intrepid Museum, in an interview with collectSPACE.com. “The underlying theme of the space race is embedded in the content, and I feel a tremendous urgency to be first in everything. That intensity and continued determination has encouraged the US to continue developing brand new technologies.”
“All of these themes are consistent from the beginning of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects, which brought us to the space shuttle era, and include the museum’s beloved shuttle Enterprise,” said Good. “Visitors have the opportunity to learn about the people, politics and STEM [science, technology, engineering and math] advances that have made, and continue to make, the US space program stronger and more successful than ever.”
Developed by the education and curatorial team at the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama and Flying Fish, a traveling exhibition company, “Apollo” uses photographs and artifacts from the rocket center’s archives, as well as interactive experiences, to convey the motivations expression. which drove the United States and the former Soviet Union to “sacrifice man and machine in order to be the first man on the moon.”
Visitors are greeted by the sights and sounds of the 1960s space races as they enter “Apollo,” which spans 9,000 square feet (840 square meters) of the Intrepid space shuttle pavilion. Walking under Enterprise and through the exhibit, guests learn about the technological advances that made the moon landing possible and the cultural and political climates that influenced the outcome. “Apollo” includes exhibits dedicated to the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, as well as the public’s response to the moon landings.
Amongst a collection of scale models – including a high scale 1:10 Saturn V – “Apollo” displays artifacts rarely seen by the public. Here visitors will find the drafting team of German rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun; an authentic nose cone from a Jupiter rocket; a Soviet SK-1 spacesuit similar to the type worn by the first person to fly into space, Yuri Gagarin; and the gloves, bubble helmet and moon boots from the Apollo space suit.
“Personally, my favorite artifact in the exhibit is the authentic Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins handshakes,” Good said. “The casts were used to make sure his spacesuit gloves were a perfect fit without having to measure his hands over and over again.”
“Careful observers may even notice this neat detail: Michael Collins’ set includes a track for his wedding band,” she said.
More than just looking, visitors can touch a piece of the moon in the form of a lunar meteorite and make their own prints in the moon dust walking across the floor of a digital lunar surface. Guests can also climb aboard a mock-up of the Apollo lunar rover for a unique photo opportunity at Intrepid.
“The Intrepid Museum has added more detailed content, which is accessible through the ‘Bloomberg Connects’ app,” Good said, referring to the free mobile guide to museums and parks. “There are several QR codes that direct visitors to additional information about Wernher von Braun, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and NASA’s current Artemis program.”
The Intrepid also has a virtual presentation scheduled on June 23 featuring astronaut Fred Haise, who will talk about his experience flying aboard Apollo 13. On site, the museum will host Astro Live nights on April 26 and 26 July with activities related to exhibitions.
Entrepreneur and private astronaut Greg Olsen, whose Soyuz spacecraft is also on display in the shuttle pavilion, partially supported bringing the exhibit to the Intrepid.
Previous “Apollo” tour stops have included the US Space & Rocket Center, the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Houston Space Center, Discovery Place in North Carolina, the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, TELUS World of Science in Canada, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and Museum Virginia History & Culture.
“Apollo: When We Went to the Moon” is on at the Intrepid Museum from Tuesday (March 26) until September 2.
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