Space Shuttle Atlantis on Display this Summer

Space shuttle Atlantis is going on display this summer, the Kennedy Space Center has announced. The center is preparing a massive public exhibition – complete with a $100 million facility – that will aim at bringing to the masses the exclusivity of space experiences.

"In my mind it's gonna be, with the buildup and the show you'll see before you actually go out to view the orbiter, I think it'll be one of the most exciting things you can see here in the state of Florida," says Atlantis astronaut Jon McBride.

McBride was part of a ceremonial unveiling of a new logo for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's shuttle display. Executives also revealed the exhibit will open days earlier than expected. The new opening is June 29.

"We're gonna bring the shuttle astronauts from the Atlantis here, so they can tell people the story of living in there, flying in there, going to the Space Station," says Rick Abramson of Delaware North.

In May, the shrink wrap comes off the shuttle. By that time, the dust will be cleaned up and the exhibit, featuring real astronauts, virtual reality, and a shuttle launch experience will boast what no other display can.

"From the space coast, it highlights the shuttle program," says Abramson.

Former shuttle workers will be part of the team that tells the story of Atlantis.

Atlantis flew into orbit 33 times, including the final space shuttle mission in 2011.

The last mission of Atlantis was STS-135, the last flight of the Shuttle program. This final flight, authorized in October 2010, brought additional supplies to the International Space Station and took advantage of the processing performed for the Launch on Need mission, which would only have been flown in the event that Endeavour's STS-134 crew required rescue. Atlantis launched successfully for the final time on 8 July 2011 at 16:29 UTC, landing at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on 21 July 2011 at 09:57 UTC.

By the end of its final mission, Atlantis had orbited the Earth 4,848 times, traveling nearly 126,000,000 mi (203,000,000 km) in space or more than 525 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon.