Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Breaks Ground For ‘Heroes and Legends’
By Space Coast Daily // May 29, 2015
new U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame to open in 2016
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex broke ground Friday on a new attraction designed to touch the hearts and minds of the next generation of space explorers – Heroes and Legends, featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame.
Held on the eve of this year’s U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Induction, the groundbreaking ceremony was attended by a large gathering of astronauts, including many hall of fame members.
Speakers included Charles Bolden, NASA administrator and hall of fame astronaut; Robert Cabana, director of John F. Kennedy Space Center and hall of fame astronaut; Dan Brandenstein, chairman of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s board of directors and hall of fame astronaut; Cecil Magpuri, president and chief creative officer of Falcon’s Treehouse in Orlando, the firm designing Heroes and Legends; Jim Houser, president of Delaware North’s parks and resorts business; and Therrin Protze, chief operating officer, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Opening in 2016, Heroes and Legends will not only bring to life the enthralling stories of America’s pioneering astronauts, but also invite guests to vicariously experience the thrills and dangers of America’s earliest missions.
The highlight of the experience is a 3D omni-directional theater, designed to make guests feel as though they are floating in the vastness of space.
Stunning images will envelope them from every direction, as legendary astronauts including Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Jim Lovell and Neil Armstrong invite them to join in their epic journeys into the vast unknown.
Early space artifacts from the Mercury and Gemini programs, such as the original Mercury Mission Control room, will be brought to life by high-tech, interactive show elements and special effects, including simulated holograms and augmented reality.
Inside the new U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, guests may get to know each of the 91 heroes and legendary astronauts who have been inducted through 2015.
Ultimately, the stories of NASA’s space heroes will resonate with guests as they find parallels in their own challenges and triumphs.
Transforming the space previously occupied by Early Space Exploration, the new Heroes and Legends, will be incorporated into the Rocket Garden, giving guests a new and elevated perspective of the towering collection of historic rockets.
CLICK HERE to check back for more updates on Heroes and Legends, featuring the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, opening 2016 at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
