Henry Crown Space Center facts for kids
Aurora 7 capsule
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| Established | 1986 |
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| Location | 5700 South Lake Shore Drive (at East 57th Street), Chicago, Illinois, US, 60637 |
| Type | Space Museum |
| Collection size | Spacecraft
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The Henry Crown Space Center is an exciting part of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. It opened in 1986. This special center lets you explore space travel through amazing objects and fun, hands-on activities. You can see real spacecraft here, like the Apollo 8 command module and the Aurora 7 capsule.
Contents
Exploring Space: Exhibits
The Henry Crown Space Center has many cool things to see and do. You can learn about astronauts, rockets, and exploring other planets.
Hands-On Space Adventures
- Docking Simulation: Imagine you are an astronaut! You can try to connect a spacecraft to a copy of the International Space Station. It's like a giant puzzle in space!
- Mars Rover Control: Take control of a model Mars rover. You can drive it around, just like scientists do on Mars.
- Astronaut Gear: See real jet-packs that astronauts wear. These help them move around when they are outside a spacecraft.
Real Spacecraft and Artifacts
- Apollo 8 Spacecraft: This is a real command module from the Apollo 8 mission. This mission was the first time humans orbited the Moon!
- Aurora 7 Capsule: See the actual Aurora 7 capsule. Astronaut Scott Carpenter flew in this capsule during his space mission.
- Apollo 11 Training Module: Check out a Lunar Module that astronauts used for training. This type of module landed on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission.
History of the Space Center
The Henry Crown Space Center was made possible by a generous gift.
How It Started
The space center was created thanks to a large donation from a kind person named Henry Crown. He was a very successful businessman. He wanted to help people learn about space.
Opening Day
The Henry Crown Space Center officially opened in 1986. A famous astronaut, James Lovell, was there for the opening. He was one of the astronauts on the Apollo 8 mission. The space center cost 12 million dollars to build. In the same year, the Museum of Science and Industry also opened an OmniMax theater right inside the space center. This theater shows amazing films on a giant dome screen.
