Air Zoo
Air Zoo announces opening of Michigan Space Science Center
Visitors can blast off on the vacation of a lifetime at Michigan Space Science Center (MSSC) at the Air Zoo. The MSSC ranks fourth in the nation for the number of Smithsonian Institution/National Air and Space Museum artifacts on display.
“With a focus on space, the Michigan Space Science Center will provide new opportunities for the Air Zoo to partner with schools throughout the State of Michigan,” says Bob Ellis, executive director of the Air Zoo. “As a destination attraction, it will attract even broader and more diverse audiences to southwest Michigan than ever before.”
Interactive exhibits at the MSSC
Lunar Leap – Hopping craters like an Apollo astronaut, guests will be able to get the feel of lunar gravity—1/6 of the Earth’s.
Space Sick – Erratically swirling circles make the viewer feel dizzily space sick. A rocking platform adds to the disorientation. Visitors will understand the feeling that many astronauts feel during their first few days in weightlessness.
Space Walk – Astronauts learn to do complex tasks upside-down and sideways in a trainer like this one. Secured in a pivoting harness, visitors walk treads around the cylinder to change orientation.
Gyro – Visitors will experiment with large locked and un-locked gyroscopes to see how they work and why they are important for guiding rockets and spacecraft.
Action vs. Reaction – Guests will be able to learn about action/reaction by loading tennis balls into the chamber of an air cannon, which will be mounted to a cart on a track. When the cannon is fired, the action of the ball being shot out of the back causes the cannon to roll forward (reaction). By varying the pressure, visitors will see the relationship between action and reaction.
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