FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 22, 2015

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kim Ramsden, Public Relations Director, 651-221-9423, kramsden@smm.org
Sarah Imholte, Public Relations Coordinator, 651-221-9412, simholte@smm.org
Peg Roessler, Roessler Public Relations, 612-200-8600, peg@pegroessler.com

Liftoff for SPACE is February 20 at the Science Museum of Minnesota

World premiere exhibition and Omnitheater film will allow visitors to get an extraordinary look at the future of living and working in space

Media preview of Journey to Space Omnitheater film is February 10 at 9 a.m.; media preview of Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience exhibition is February 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Saint Paul, Minn. Visitors to the Science Museum of Minnesota this winter will get a hands-on, climb-aboard look at what it takes to live and work in space. On Friday, February 20, the museum will be the world premiere site for the Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience exhibition and the Journey to Space Omnitheater film. Members of the media may preview the film on Tuesday, February 10 at 9 a.m. and the exhibition on Friday, February 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Complete media information about Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience and Journey to Space is available on the Science Museum of Minnesota's media site: www.smm.org/media/.

Human space travel is making a lot of headlines of late, and the prospect is full of possibility, says Mike Day, senior vice president of the Science Museum of Minnesota. By bringing this Space experience to the Science Museum, were inviting visitors to get an in-depth, hands-on look at living and working in space and what it means to the future of our society. Its exciting to host the world premiere of both the Space exhibition and the Journey to Space Omnitheater film, and to join in the visioning of the extraordinary possibilities that lie ahead.

Space: An Out-of Gravity Experience
In the Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience exhibition, visitors will explore the extraordinary environment of space, including the very real dangers that astronauts face during their missions above-Earth and the adaptations that engineers have developed to help them survive while in space. Theyll learn about the vacuum of space, radiation, meteoroids, and temperature extremes, getting a look at all of the ways in which the forbidding environment of space can kill the humans who explore it.

Next, theyll enter into an area of the exhibition in which theyll find hands-on ways to explore the science of getting to space. Theyll learn about weightlessness and the challenges it presents in long-term space living. Theyll experiment with water rockets to explore the physics of the launch, and theyll use drop towers to investigate how familiar objects behave differently in the weightless environment of space.

Then, visitors will experience the sights, sounds, and smells on board an orbiting space station like the International Space Station (ISS), and theyll try their hands at some of the feats of engineering that support astronauts who live in space. Through games, multimedia components, and interactive exhibits, theyll learn how astronauts eat, sleep, and even go to the bathroom in space. Theyll learn firsthand the challenges of working in space from operating a robotic arm to managing the limited power supply available to keep life support systems running to discovering why working in a space glove is so difficult.

This section of Space features a full scale, climb-aboard mock-up of the Destiny Lab, the primary research facility for U.S. payloads on the ISS. With its rotating mechanism, the Destiny Lab will give museum visitors the sensation that theyre floating as they get a virtual tour of the lab from astronauts who have worked there.

All along the way, visitors will find incredible footage of astronauts living and working in space, as well as interviews in which they reflect on the challenges and accomplishments of their unique line of work.

Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience was designed and developed by the Science Museum of Minnesota in partnership with the International Space Station Office of NASA's Johnson Space Center, the California Science Center, and partner museums. It will run through September 7, 2015.

Journey to Space Omnitheater film
To round out the space experience, the Omnitheater will host Journey to Space, a brand-new giant screen film that takes a look back at the remarkable achievements of NASAs Space Shuttle program, including the launch and assembly of the International Space Station, then looks ahead to the incredible opportunities that await for future space flight.

Through stunning giant screen imagery, Journey to Space showcases the exciting plans that are underway in the space exploration community, as well as the challenges we face as we find ways to carry out missions that were once considered science fiction such as landing astronauts on Mars.

The names of the new machines that will carry out these missions have recently entered or soon will enter our lexicon: Orion is NASAs first spacecraft designed to carry humans on long-duration deep space exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit and return them safely back home; Olympus is an inflatable transportation habitat that will provide astronauts the work area and living space necessary for long-duration missions; and the Space Launch System, or SLS, is the giant rocket that provides the enormous lift necessary to carry both of the previously mentioned spacecraft into space.

The William L. McKnight-3M Omnitheaters 90-foot domed screen is the perfect place for viewers to embark upon a journey of space discovery. Viewers will find themselves surrounded by extraordinary images that tell the story of how NASA is transitioning from the end of the Space Shuttle Era to an ambitious future that will forever change how we live and work in space.

Journey to Space is produced by K2 Films, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of K2 Communications, and Giant Screen Films. It will run through August 23, 2015.

Visitor Information
Space: An Out-of-Gravity Experience runs from Friday, February 20 through Monday, September 7 at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Admission is $21 for adults and $12 for kids and seniors (ticket price includes admission to Space and the Science Museums permanent exhibit galleries). Combination Space exhibition and Journey to Space Omnitheater film tickets are also available. As with past special exhibits, admission to Space will be timed and dated; visitors will be given the opportunity to choose a specific date and time for their visit when they purchase tickets.

Complete ticket information, including details on packages, pricing, and show times, is available at www.smm.org.

The Science Museum of Minnesota serves hundreds of thousands of visitors each year with its hands-on exhibits, breathtaking giant screen films, special events, and unparalleled education programs. It is located at 120 West Kellogg Boulevard in downtown St. Paul. For specific directions, parking information, hours, show times and ticket information, call (651) 221-9444 or visit www.smm.org.