Blue Origin New Shepard rocket VR experience opens at Kennedy Space Center

New exhibit opened Friday at visitor complex

Replica of Blue Origin's New Shepard crew capsule at Kennedy Space Center (Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – Rather than bidding $28 million to embark on a journey to space, you can now head over to the Kennedy Space Center and feel the sights and sounds of outer-world travel.

KSC debuted its newest exhibit on Friday – a replica of Blue Origin’s New Shepard crew capsule.

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“Our goal is to create an educational tool to make the concept of space travel more accessible to the public and inspire a new generation of space enthusiasts,” a Blue Origin spokesperson said in a release.

The experience brings guests onboard the capsule, and uses data and imagery to mimic the rocket’s journey in space, the release shows.

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It is a virtual-reality experience, with interactive elements such as seat shakers and zero gravity indicators.

According to the release, the capsule is a near-exact replica of the flight capsule.

The New Shepard flights go more than 62 miles above Earth, but it is only off the ground for roughly 10 minutes, as previously reported.  The rocket travels three times the speed of sound (about 300 miles per hour), and it has 22 successful missions since its start in 2012.


About the Author

Patricia joined WKMG-TV in May 2023.

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