To the Space Station, the Moon, and Mars – Oh My!

January 6, 2004, Houston, TX — Orbiting 220 miles above the Earth is the International Space Station (ISS). A mere 240,000 miles from our home planet orbits her faithful moon. And our solar system neighbor, Mars, in the grand scheme of this vast universe, was just a stone’s throw away from Earth, or 35 million miles, in 2003. All of these heavenly destinations hold not only mankind’s hopes for a better future but the answers to an infinite number of questions, some perhaps not yet asked.

But how can we earthlings wrap our arms around such seemingly out-of-reach treasures today? SPACEHAB’s answer to this question is “By bringing them down to Earth!”
For almost 20 years, SPACEHAB, Inc. has dreamed and delivered on the company’s unique perspective on bringing the wonders of space within reach – from being at the forefront of space commercialization and space access, to the design and fabrication of flight-like mockups, models, and exhibits for both astronauts-in-training and space enthusiasts alike.

Is This Your Destiny?
SPACEHAB’s most recent achievement in this quest is the design and creation of the Destiny Exhibit, a full-scale replica of the orbiting ISS Destiny laboratory, for the enjoyment and education of those of us who remain with our feet on the ground but continue to look to the stars.

The Destiny Exhibit is constructed with amazing attention to detail both inside and out. Visitors will feel as if they’ve been instantly transported into space as they step into the module and begin this multi-sensory experience. Some of its most eye-catching features include a flat panel screen observation window with spectacular Earth views in motion, a treadmill just like the one the astronauts use on the Space Station, and a human research facility. The more curious and hands-on visitor even has the ability to climb inside the Temporary Sleep Station, or TESS, an astronaut rest cabin complete with a flight-designed sleeping bag, and imagine taking a sleep break after a hard day’s work!

For a real hands-on experience, visitors turn scientists as they check out the Microgravity Specimen Glove Box and get a feel for what it’s like to work with experiments in a Zero-G environment. Since there is no floor in space, all surfaces can be outfitted for equipment. To stay true to this design, located over the deck racks of this Earth-bound module is a 1.5” thick tempered and protective laminated glass floor which permits viewing and walking without damage to the deck rack surfaces. Walking through the Destiny exhibit simulates the space experience as visitors virtually float over the unobstructed deck racks.

Guests will especially enjoy the five-channel home theater included for dramatic audio effect. Supporting video displays and audio loops of actual Space Station views and sounds deliver a multi-sensory adventure for the space tourist, conveying the feeling of an on-orbit working module and bringing this exceptional exhibit to life.

A Model of Quality
For a smaller piece of space ‘history-in-the-making’, SPACEHAB engineers meticulously designed and assembled a 1:144 scale model of the International Space Station itself. This high-fidelity model depicts the Assembly Complete (A/C) configuration of the ISS, but designed with flexibility in mind, can also be configured to the current configuration, which today stands as 11.A. Also adding to the exclusivity of the piece, SPACEHAB can custom assemble other scale models of the ISS (i.e., 1:100, 1:50, 1:24) as well as a range of fidelity levels.

Mars and Beyond
Before Spirit and Opportunity, there was the brilliant success of the 1997 Mars Pathfinder mission. Pathfinder’s Sojourner rover literally paved the way for the future robots that would explore the mysterious red planet in the 21st century, navigating and investigating the poorly understood Martian terrain and conducting critical science and technology experiments.

Today’s landers and rovers share the heritage of spacecraft designs and technologies first tested in the pathfinding mission. SPACEHAB designed and built a medium-fidelity mockup as a tribute to the Pathfinder mission and the advancement of our knowledge of planet Mars. Only four static and remote-controlled mockups were built between 1998 and 1999 for use in tourist destinations such as Disney resorts as well as other museum and visitor venues. Visit SPACEHAB’s The Space Store in Houston to check out the last one which toured with the LEGO Company in 2001 as a part of the Life On Mars™ nationwide truck tour!

The promise and excitement of research and discovery in both low-earth orbit and beyond are now a reality through the International Space Station and other human achievements. SPACEHAB invites you to celebrate the wonders of space through your very own piece of space …here on Earth.