BRPH Companies, Inc.

Owner:

BRPH Companies, Inc.

Client:

Delaware North Companies, Parks & Resorts

Scope Of Work

The shuttle launch experience is difficult to imagine, even for a trained astronaut. To the public, it inspires awe and fascination. In early 2007, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex presented a new exhibit that, for the first time anywhere, allows visitors to experience the sights, sounds, and sensations of a shuttle launch.

Unlike amusement park simulators, this experience has “the real stuff.” Designed with input from astronauts who have actually flown on the shuttle, the simulated launch experience allows visitors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride the Space Shuttle into orbit. For the next five minutes, the pod’s 44 passengers see, feel and live the trip to 17,500 mph. As the shuttle bay doors open, what follows is a breathtaking view of Earth seldom seen in the first person.

The 60-foot tall facility is covered with titanium panels and has a glass front. Situated on the northeast corner of the Visitor Complex, along the entrance road, adjacent to the shuttle mock-up, shuttle explorer, and solid rocket booster displays, the facility offers a dramatic backdrop to the visually stunning shuttle components and beckons guests to explore first-hand the excitement and jarring thrills of a shuttle launch experience.