Event name: Air and Space Excursion

Event time and place: February 23, 2025 at Washington D.C.


One of the planes outside of the Planets exhibit
The One World Connected exhibit had a focus on how aviation and space flight allow for greater communication around the world. Specifically, it was about satellites, mobile communication, and imaging of the Earth. Each part of the exhibit was linked to ways that innovation in aerospace technologies help to bridge the differences between people and cultures. Three inventions from this room were the Sirius FM communication satellite, the handheld GPS, and the jet engine. The Sirius FM communication satellite allowed for satellite phones which prompted interaction across greater distances. The GPS made travel more feasible, making distance less of a burden to communication. Finally, the jet engine made air travel quicker which also minimized the complications of distance. Both the jet engine and GPS parts had a life sized model with text explaining their significance. The education level of the main audience this exhibit was designed for was likely around middle school level, since many of the topics were simplified and integrated into interactive components. However, there were still many references to history taught in school such as presidents and major historical figures at the time of certain discoveries. As mentioned, the exhibit contained many interactive components, the flagship being a large virtual Earth display which showcased different satellite images from all over the world. This component was effective at delivering the message from the exhibit because it demonstrated the level of information distribution possible with satellite technology.

The Destination Moon exhibit was about the development of spaceflight during the mission to land on the moon, including the development of rockets and lunar capsules. Additionally, it had a section about spacesuits and accommodating astronauts in space. Three specific showcases of this exhibit were the specific F1 engine used for the Apollo 11 mission, the Columbia command module, and information learned about the effect of space on humans. The Columbia piece was specific because it was the actual real command module used, which was later donated to the museum. In regards to explaining the effect of space on humans, the exhibit showed an example of a portable EKG and vision test astronauts carried with them. This exhibit seemed to be designed for an audience slightly older in middle school, since it contained more technical content. However, there was still heavy use of incorporated interactive components, mostly in the form of large screens that allowed for more exploration into specific topics of certain pieces in the museum. One interactive showcase that was useful in particular was one of the Saturn V, which was composed of a screen that had each part of the rocket in an exploded view. By selecting different parts of the rocket, the screen provided more in depth descriptions to supplement the ones on the signs.

Finally, the Exploring the Planets exhibit was mainly about learning about planets without actually visiting them through studying tectonics, geology, spectroscopy, and materials sciences. Three specific concepts that the exhibit delved more into were volcanism, crater anatomy, and past rovers and satellites used to collect information on different planets. For example, the gallery displayed a life sized model of the Perseverance rover along with a description of each head scientist and their focus. It also had models of types of craters with textured surfaces to better depict their differences. This exhibit was probably designed for an older end of middle school audience as well because it went more in depth about scientific concepts used to learn about the planets. Similar to the previous two, it also greatly employed the use of interactive components. These were useful in conveying information since, for instance, the textured craters allowed for visitors to feel the differences between craters rather than rely on a simple verbal description.

The exhibit designers made sure to design many interactive components to make concepts easier to learn. Additionally, they broke up complex topics into smaller chunks. For example, the Exploring the Planets exhibit explained satellite imagery through the lenses of examining craters, surface textures, evidence of tectonic movement, and spectroscopy. One way they ensured information was updated was by having booths with Smithsonian volunteers providing information on topics in the room. Additionally, some of their interactive components could be easily updated since they were based online.