Opening May 24, 2024
Great Lakes Science Center will be the site of TapeScape: International Tape Station this summer!
Using the humble product known as packing tape, the Science Center and designer/artist Eric Lennartson built an all-ages playground entirely out of packing tape wrapped around a metal frame – a TapeScape! Lennartson harnesses the tensile strength of tape – or its ability to stretch under stress – to design unique, multisensory installations strong enough for kids and adults to climb on and explore.
Focused on the dynamic intersection of materials science and the groundbreaking research at NASA’s Glenn Research Center, this exhibit showcases the real-life Cleveland driven innovations aboard the International Space Station. Encompassing an impressive 10,000 square feet, the exhibit's focal point is a remarkable play-scape structure, mirroring the iconic design of the space station. Equipped with state-of-the-art lighting and projection mapping technologies, this structure fully immerses guests in their experience.
To accompany the International Tape Station exhibit, NASA’s Glenn Research Center has provided a variety of flight hardware and samples for display that showcase materials that have been flown on the International Space Station. Displays include different types of polymers, thermal control fabric, shape memory alloys, and materials and designs for docking system seals that allow spacecraft to dock with the space station – all tested for durability and resilience outside the station. Samples flown as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment missions on the exterior of the International Space Station provide scientists with information to design durable materials for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and the boundless wonder of space.
Visitors will learn about Cleveland’s ongoing contributions to ground breaking research conducted aboard the space station, while also delving into the many local career paths for space enthusiasts. Interactive hands-on activities offer fun for families as they learn more about materials and how they are used in space. Orbiting the perimeter of the exhibit, guests will also find a replica model of the Orion Module, inviting guests to step inside and explore the future of space research along with a ground-level accessible tape tunnel inspired by tape, complete with experimental setups, and more.
