New $8.5M Space Exhibit Opens Saturday At The Franklin Institute

PHILADELPHIA — A new $8.5 million space exhibit opens Saturday at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

Wondrous Space "aims to feed curiosity about what lies beyond and inspire excitement for future advancements and the endeavors that await—from a return to the moon to groundbreaking travel to Mars."

The two-story, 7,500-square-foot exhibit is between the Fels Planetarium and the Holt & Miller Observatory.

The first level fully immerses guests in simulations and experiences that will "transport" them to space, allowing them to control the forces of nature, travel immeasurable distances across the universe, and witness awe-inspiring space phenomena.

The upper level takes on a completely distinctive design tone, delving into space through the lens of creativity and innovation, providing a deeper understanding of the future of life and work in space, showcasing new tools, tech, and techniques, as well as rising industry leaders and the varying careers related to space exploration and discovery.

Wondrous Space showcases space-related artifacts on loan, some in modular casework to easily update items as space science evolves. At launch, some of the objects include two rovers from Carnegie Mellon University and a 10-ft-long rocket engine from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Additional artifacts on loan from Boeing, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, ILC Dover, CMU, JPL, Smart Tire, Aleph Farms, Alluxa, and Hope Hersh, award-winning inventor of space bread.

Wondrous Space’s Rover Design, an interactive station where guests can design and test their exploratory rovers, is sponsored by AMETEK Inc., an innovative global company based in Berwyn whose businesses are responsible for manufacturing technologies that enable space exploration, including AMETEK Pacific-Design Technologies.

AMETEK PDT is keeping NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover thermally controlled during its two-year mission on the red planet. Several of AMETEK’s other artifacts and innovations surround Rover Design in the exhibit.

Wondrous Space marks the first time an external design team led the creative development of a core Franklin Institute exhibit.

Creative director Dan Picard, co-owner of the award-winning diverse-owned experiential design firm MDSX, known for creating immersive storytelling and design for theme parks, live entertainment, and attractions, is the artistic force behind the design of Wondrous Space.

To help shape content for the space exhibit, guided by the expertise of Chief Astronomer Derrick Pitts, TFI and MDSX enlisted a wide range of expert advisors, sought feedback from business and community leaders, and held student workshops.

This collaborative effort resulted in an exhibit that is modern, fresh, and representative of topics that excite and intrigue, from becoming the center of your own solar system to searching for habitable worlds.

Through strategic collaboration with global industry leaders, the exhibit is fully equipped to feature current technologies and future tools for exploration while highlighting the various careers that support the companies at the forefront of space exploration.

Backed by a $3M gift from The Boeing Company, the Wondrous Space exhibit marks the first of six new thematic exhibits that will push the boundaries of traditional science center exhibits and allow for the re-imagination of The Franklin Institute experience as the museum embarks on its landmark 200th anniversary in 2024.

Six new exhibits will replace the 12 existing ones over the next several years and be larger in scale, more future-focused, and adaptable to emerging scientific trends—while keeping iconic artifacts like the Giant Heart and Baldwin locomotive. Exhibit themes include space, the human body, earth systems, the built environment, advanced machines and robotics, and computer science.

"The Franklin Institute is a world-renowned science museum that has been inspiring curiosity and creativity for 200 years," said Larry Dubinski, President and CEO of The Franklin Institute. "With the launch of Wondrous Space and the exhibits to follow, we are poised to enter an exciting new era of innovation and discovery and continue our mission of inspiring the next generation
of scientists, engineers, and explorers."

The Franklin Institute will complement the upcoming launch of Wondrous Space with a series of space-related public programming, including the podcast debut of The Curious Cosmos with Derrick Pitts (Sept. 12), the 2023 annular eclipse museum viewing event (Oct. 14), the unveiling of Mars by artist Luke Jerram (Nov. 2 through Nov. 19), and the reopening of the refreshed Holt & Miller Observatory (Nov. 4).