About the Exhibit
Entrance
The exhibit entry is a passageway that creates anticipation for the experiences to come. A marquee towers over a multitouch, multilayered timeline.
Digital Timeline
At a multilayered digital touchscreen timeline, you can retrace innovators and innovations that have transformed the world through flight.
Beyond the Limits
A wraparound theater immerses you in the emotional core of the exhibit, celebrating the epic quest to challenge the limits of flight and the power of innovation to propel humans above and beyond every new horizon. A three-minute video, “Beyond the Limits,” features stunning high-definition imagery with soaring music in surround sound.
Up
Virtual activities explore the challenges humans faced to overcome gravity and the breakthroughs made to get off the ground.
Spread Your Wings
A group flying experience, where motion-sensing technology and computer graphics transforms you into a virtual bird. Here you’ll explore the forces of flight--lift, weight, thrust and drag--as you lean to steer, and flap and bend your wings to fly.
Future Aircraft
Discover concepts for future aircraft that fly faster, greener and better in various ways. Navigate a touchscreen exploration of new supersonic passenger jets, a flying car, a hypersonic aircraft that flies more than five times the speed of sound and more.
Take Flight!
Examine virtual 3-D models that demonstrate key innovations in flight and the science behind them. Select one model at a time from contemporary versions of six different aircraft, then make it fly, find out how it works and explore its heritage.
Faster
Encounter the ongoing pursuit of ever-faster flight.
Full Throttle
Apply aerodynamic principles to design your own virtual fighter jets and race against other would-be pilots in a high-speed flying competition.
Shock Waves
Perform a simulated wind tunnel test to gauge the effects of aerodynamics on high-speed flight. Also learn about wind tunnel science and how wind tunnels work.
Higher
This interactive gallery examines the challenges of high-altitude flight and the innovations that may soon make getting into orbit easier.
International Space Elevator
Ascend to Earth orbit aboard a simulated space elevator of the future. During your ascent, breathtaking scenery, digital displays and a virtual tour guide describe the aircraft, spacecraft and aerospace phenomena.
Farther
Join the drive to go the distance on Earth and in space and discover some visionary concepts for flying farther, faster and more efficiently.
Marathon to Mars
Are you ready to go to Mars? This Augmented Reality experience invites you to take on the physical and psychological challenges of the marathon journey, and lets you “try on” some potential solutions. You can even earn your own personal “Passport to Mars.”
Future Spacecraft
Touchscreen media and images of futuristic spacecraft propulsion systems give you a sneak peek at some exciting innovations designed to open up the space frontier to everyone and propel human astronauts farther than ever before.
The Light Stuff
In an interactive weight comparison of fuselage sections, test and observe how lightweight composite materials—10 times stronger than steel—are helping aircraft and spacecraft fly farther with less fuel.
Smarter
Uncover the smart technologies that result when flight and innovation unite. Activities demonstrate the incredible impact of advances in computers, electronics and robotics on crewed and remotely piloted flight, both on Earth and in space.
Space Junk
Step up to a “Junker” station for a cosmic crusade against debris in space. In this virtual timed challenge, try to eliminate orbital debris surrounding Earth, using your choice of cutting-edge solutions.
RoboFlyers
A fascinating look at applications for remotely piloted technologies. Launch your unique Roboflyer design to test your skills at equipping and programming flyers for the missions you choose.
Smart Skies
A brief theater-style presentation reveals how smart technologies will transform air space. Discover innovations to decrease weather delays, reduce pollution and improve air traffic efficiency.
Smart Manufacturing
Video features smart technologies shaping how aerospace companies design and build aircraft, including virtual design and rapid prototyping, 3-D printing, and manufacturing robots. Visitors can view an actual 3-D printed aircraft model, as well as objects manufactured by the 3-D printer recently installed on the International Space Station.
Exit
Dreams Aloft
At the exhibit exit awaits a montage of multitouch screens. Video vignettes by young aerospace employees describe their inspirations, intriguing projects and dreams for the next century of flight. You can add your own visions for the future of flight to a collective wall of dreams.