Few things capture a child’s imagination like space travel. Even before space travel was possible, kids have been dreaming of going to infinity and beyond. Only a very lucky few are able to realize these dreams, but now the lucky people of Seattle can see where astronauts trained for such shuttle missions. The space shuttle trainer is the newest exhibit at Seattle’s Museum of Flight, and it is impressive.
The new facility, the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery, is actually across the street from the main museum building, but is connected by a sky bridge and elevator. The trainer itself is the heart of the exhibit, and walking around the perimeter feels both familiar and surreal. Throughout the gallery, the history of the shuttle program is recounted through various exhibits, artifacts, photographs and videos.
While most are written more for adults, there are some exhibits that are particularly interesting for kids. The most obvious is the Waste Collection System, or the space toilet. Kids can even take a seat on the astronaut’s throne and then compare it to the one that Russian cosmonauts use. Older kids will enjoy a video game that lets you try your hand at landing the space shuttle or docking with the International Space Station. It’s trickier than it looks, but worth the wait.
There is only one part of the shuttle trainer interior that is included with a general admission ticket. This part is the payload bay in the middle of the fuselage. It is the part of the shuttle for cargo, big cargo like satellites or additions to the International Space Station. The significance of the area was a bit lost on my 8-year-old daughter who likened it to walking through a large trunk. My 11-year-old son was a bit more impressed with the canadarm robotic arm that is used to unload the items in space. The payload bay contains several screens with looping videos about items that the shuttles have launched into space. If you take the time to watch the videos, the space becomes a lot more interesting. Otherwise, most people are just drawn to the window at the end that allows a peek into the area where astronauts prepped for space walks and into other crew compartments.
While one cannot minimize the historical significance of the new exhibit of the world’s only full-scale shuttle training facility, it is hard to explain the significance to kids. For families with kids ages 10 and older, the museum does offer a special tour experience on the weekends that is well worth the additional price. This tour features the crew compartments of the trainer including the sleeping berths, the infamous toilet, the mission commander and pilot seats, and the window used by the canadarm operator. The tour begins with a video about the delivery of the trainer to Seattle in the specialized Guppy plane. After the tour inside the compartments, guests are given the opportunity to try their skills at guiding a robotic arm modeled after the canadarm.
While it’s shame that younger kids can’t go inside the astronauts’ living quarters, it is a small space and requires crawling through a hatchway and climbing a ladder. Of course, my son thought that was the best part, especially knowing that hundreds of astronauts had done the same thing in their training. He also noted that astronauts need a lot of Velcro. For those a little disappointed at not being able to go inside this area, there is at least a 3D adjustable video of the crew compartments that kids can navigate through a touch screen.
The Space Shuttle Trainer is an amazing addition to the Museum of Flight. Whether or not your child will be amazed may very well depend on their age. It is big, it is very cool, but the inside tour is what takes it to another level. Luckily for those with younger children, the Museum of Flight does have many, many areas that are engaging and hands-on for those little ones who may be dreaming of infinity and beyond.
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Source: http://www.seattleschild.com/article/space-shuttle-trainer-at-the-museum-of-flight
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