The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington announced the completion of a comprehensive renovation of its main building, which took seven years and cost nearly one billion dollars. This announcement came with the opening of the "At Home in Space" exhibition, the final exhibit in the series of updates the museum has undergone.
Documenting the Human Journey to Orbit
The new exhibition focuses on the history of long-duration spaceflight, starting from the Space Shuttle era to current operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS), while looking ahead to future steps for lunar and Martian exploration. The exhibition features a collection of unique technical artifacts, including a space shuttle engine, a Robonaut 1A robot, and an Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit displayed to the public for the first time after actual use in space.
What does this exhibition change technically?
The exhibition offers a technical educational experience through a full-scale simulation of the "Destiny" module of the International Space Station, allowing visitors to understand the working environment in microgravity. The exhibition also showcases advanced technical tools used in space, such as:
- Biotechnology tools such as the miniPCR device and the MinION DNA sequencer.
- The first 3D printer used in space, which contributed to the manufacturing of spare parts and repair tools in orbit.
- Original space suits of historic astronauts, with technical documentation of the evolution of reusable suit design.
Tribute and History
In addition to the technical aspects, the exhibition dedicates space to honoring the astronauts who lost their lives during the Shuttle program, displaying recovered pieces from the "Challenger" and "Columbia" vehicles, which adds a human and historical dimension to the technical development. The exhibition also paves the way for the "Artemis" era, as space has been allocated to display the "Artemis 1" capsule, which is scheduled to arrive at the museum later.
This opening marks the culmination of an extensive modernization project that included redesigning the exterior facades and upgrading the museum's mechanical systems, enhancing the institution's ability to display its pioneering space collection to the public in an interactive and updated manner.