Shoot for the Moon
About the Exhibition
A Journey with Jim Lovell
Take a journey with astronaut James A. Lovell, Jr. and learn about his initial setbacks and ultimate triumphs as one of America's space pioneers using artifacts from his personal collection.
The fully-restored Gemini 12 spacecraft, flown by Captain Lovell and Buzz Aldrin in 1966, is the centerpiece of a dynamic presentation celebrating the Gemini 12 Mission and America's race to the Moon.
Mission Moon
The second gallery — Mission: Moon — continues the story from the Gemini program to focus on the historic accomplishments of the hugely successful Apollo missions.
Serve as a member of an exploration team going back to the Moon in the 21st century in the exciting Lunar Dangers Training Lab. The Lunar Leap and Touch Down interactives — and other state–of–the–art exhibition elements — allow you to discover the thrills and challenges of lunar exploration and imagine your own future in space.
Moon Wall
Explore the surface of the Moon by jumping to special areas, such as Tranquility Base the site for the first Moon landing, using the new ultra-high-resolution display. The Moon Wall incorporates the latest images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), which is located on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) currently orbiting the Moon. Learn more on the LROC Mission and NASA LRO websites.
Touch Down
One of the most harrowing moments of every Apollo mission was the lunar landing. Take the controls of a lunar landing vehicle and test your piloting skills as you attempt your own lunar descent and landing.
Lunar Leap
Feel what it’s like to jump on the Moon. This lunar gravity simulation recreates the sensation of jumping in the 1/6-gravity of the Moon. First, measure your Earth jump. Then try a lunar leap, as you lean back onto one of the slider boards and push yourself up with your feet. A green-screen video effect shows what the jump would look like on the lunar surface.
Lunar Dangers Lab
Meet A.L.E.X. (Analyst of Lunar Environmental Extremes), an animated robot, who thinks he’s ready to live on the Moon. But does he really know what he’s getting into? Learn about the science of the Moon through the dangers of lunar exploration, which include temperature extremes, solar radiation, micrometeorites, and lunar dust.
Learn more about our Teacher Resource guides.
Sponsors and Partners
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