Blue Origin Exhibit Opens at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Starting today, guests at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex will have a chance to take a virtual trip to the edge of space.

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Blue Origin just unveiled a replica of its New Shepard crew capsule inside the Gateway Exhibit.

Barret Schlegelmilch, a New Shepard astronaut trainer, told us the replica is similar to a mockup used to train Blue Origin civilian astronauts.

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“We use that mockup to run the astronauts through all of the same procedures that they would do on the actual launch vehicle,” Schlegelmilch explained.

For visitors, the exhibit includes a virtual launch from Blue Origin’s West Texas launch pad, complete with seat shakers and a chance to select your own zero-gravity indicator.

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The virtual reality experience is Blue Origin’s first permanent interactive exhibit at the Visitor Complex.

“Well, you know, you got just an amazing space race,” KSC Visitor Complex Chief Operating Officer Therrin Protze said. “And what’s really cool is it is a domestic space race, right? So, guests can come here and see everything that’s kind of just percolating right here at the Kennedy Space Center.”

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That includes a record-setting number of launches and the development of new vehicles, like Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket.

From the Blue Origin exhibit, visitors also have a chance to send a postcard on a future New Shepard mission and have it mailed back home.

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