APOLLO COMMAND MODULE TO FIND HOME AT NEW
NASA GLENN VISITOR CENTER AT GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER

June 18th, 2010

CLEVELAND (June 18, 2010) – The new NASA Glenn Visitor Center at Great Lakes Science Center has an exciting addition: the Apollo command module used for the Skylab 3 mission. The space capsule was used during launch and re-entry in the second manned mission to Skylab, the United States’ first space station. The move is scheduled for Monday, June 21. Logistics details are below.

“Skylab 3 command module will be a visually stunning centerpiece of the Science Center’s new NASA Glenn Visitor Center,” said Dr. Linda Abraham-Silver, president and CEO of Great Lakes Science Center. “We are committed to providing the region with a premiere NASA Visitor Center where people of all ages can learn about space exploration and NASA’s rich history, and the Skylab 3 command module will help us do just that.”

Skylab 3 Command Module Background

The original Skylab mission that launched the space station took place in 1973. The ensuing three Skylab missions, Skylab 2, 3 and 4, took place later that year and marked the introduction of the Scientist position on the crew. Astronauts on the Skylab missions conducted medical, solar and scientific experiments, including testing a live spider’s ability to spin a web in a weightless environment. They also repaired solar panels in the longest spacewalks in history at the time.

The Skylab 3 mission began on July 28, 1973, and had a total flight time of 59 days, 11 hours. The Skylab 3 crew, consisting of Alan Bean, Owen Garriott and Jack Lousma, set nine international records at the time for spacewalks and amount of time astronauts spent in space. The Skylab missions proved the capability of astronauts to live and work in space for long periods of time, truly pioneering the scientific exploration of the final frontier.

The Command Module is on loan from the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum.

Moving Day Logistics

The command module will be transported from NASA Glenn Research Center to Great Lakes Science Center on Monday, June 21. It will be uncrated, unwrapped and lifted via crane onto a dolly. It will then be transferred to its location within the NASA Glenn Visitor Center on level one of the Science Center. The Science Center’s front doors have been removed in preparation for this move. Estimated time of arrival on June 21 is 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. The media relations team will update outlets throughout the day.

The new NASA Glenn Visitor Center opened at Great Lakes Science Center in late March 2010 and houses more than 50 exhibits and artifacts. To date, 86,626 guests have visited the Visitor Center at its new location. The Science Center is currently raising private funds for a full exhibition redevelopment that will take place in 2011.


About Great Lakes Science Center
Great Lakes Science Center is one of the nation’s leading science and technology centers and home to Northeast Ohio’s NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Its mission is to stimulate interest in and increase understanding of the sciences, with a particular emphasis on the interdependence of scientific, environmental and technological activities in the Great Lakes region. It features hundreds of hands-on exhibits, themed traveling exhibits, daily demonstrations, the awe-inspiring OMNIMAX® Theater and the Steamship William G. Mather. The Science Center is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Discounted parking is available for guests in the attached 500-car garage. Great Lakes Science Center is generously funded by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. For more information, contact the Science Center at (216) 694-2000 or visit www.GreatScience.com.

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