BRC Imagination Arts Completes Final Touches in Adler Planetarium's New Shoot for the Moon Exhibition

release date: November 13, 2006

Advanced Technology and Special Effects Immerse and Inspire Visitors with America’s Early Space Exploration

BURBANK, CA and CHICAGO, IL – BRC Imagination Arts, one of the world’s leading creators of truly engaging visitor experiences for museums, corporate visitor centers and cultural heritage attractions, has completed production of the Adler Planetarium’s (www.adlerplanetarium.org) new exhibition, Shoot for the Moon, which opened in Chicago on November 11, 2006—the 40th anniversary of the Gemini 12 mission launch.

Visitors to Shoot for the Moon share the stories of America’s history-making voyages to the Moon in the 1960s and 70s, as well as efforts underway to return humans to the lunar surface before the end of the next decade. The stories are told through the firsthand experiences of Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., the Gemini and Apollo astronaut best known for the leadership role he played in transforming the Apollo 13 accident into one of the most successful missions of all time.

Tapping into its experience design approach of "Showmanship Meets Scholarship™," BRC (www.brcweb.com) developed the exhibition, which features more than 5,000 square feet of interactive exhibits and simulations, a multimedia "object theater" highlighting the restored Gemini 12 spacecraft, and a major collection of space history artifacts that Captain Lovell has generously donated to the Adler Planetarium.

"Outer space is one of the most intriguing and significant frontiers for mankind, so the science of space and the wonders of the universe are too important to be allowed to be boring," said Bob Rogers, founder and chairman of BRC Imagination Arts. "Shoot for the Moon visitors of all ages experience a compelling blend of showmanship and scholarship, full of special effects, and world-class storytelling inspired by one of America’s greatest astronauts."

Shoot for the Moon consists of two galleries. In the first, A Journey with Jim Lovell, visitors relive America’s original race to space, through the poignant stories of Lovell’s life and early career—including the multiple setbacks he overcame on his way to gaining acceptance into NASA’s astronaut corps. Themed vignettes, interactive exhibits, and dramatic archival film footage offer insight into the pivotal moments leading up to each of Lovell’s two Gemini missions, and how he and others risked their lives to advance scientific understanding when manned spaceflight was still in its infancy.

In the second gallery, Mission: Moon, visitors gain a new understanding of NASA’s Apollo Moon landings and the technical and environmental challenges lunar astronauts faced as they took humankind to a new world for the first time. The experiences of the Apollo astronauts serve to springboard visitors to the future, inspiring them to dream about the role they might play in the return to the Moon.

Shoot for the Moon highlights include:

A multimedia object theater presentation starring the actual Gemini 12 capsule Lovell and fellow NASA astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin took into Earth orbit in 1966. The use of video and lighting technology, and original NASA footage from the Gemini 12 mission, bring the spacecraft alive. The presentation plays on two large projection screens positioned above the spacecraft. During the show, which is narrated by Lovell, visitors relive some of the most gripping and groundbreaking moments of the mission. As the show unfolds, key features of the spacecraft jump to life via lighting effects in and on the capsule, which are choreographed to the video and narration. Behind the spacecraft stands a floor-to-ceiling backlit mural, featuring a breathtaking photograph of Earth captured by one of the Gemini crews.
The fully restored Gemini 12 spacecraft itself—the centerpiece of the object theater. With Lovell’s assistance, the Adler Planetarium secured a long-term loan of the Gemini 12 spacecraft from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Multiple interactive exhibits and simulations that invite visitors to "walk in the boots" of a lunar explorer, as they discover the thrills and challenges of getting to the Moon, living there, and working in an environment where the force of gravity is only 1/6 as strong as it is on Earth.
Dozens of artifacts from Lovell’s personal collection, including: some of the rocketry and science fiction books that inspired him as a child; the rejection letter he received from the Mercury Program in 1959; original flight plans and manuals flown on the Gemini 12 mission; Lovell’s handwritten Gemini training notes; a full set of Gemini space program medallions; Apollo 8 flight plans and maneuvers logs; the "Personal Preference Kit" in which Lovell carried personal belongings on the Apollo 8 mission; an Apollo 13 malfunction book; and a director’s clapper from the making of the blockbuster Hollywood film, Apollo 13.
A "Pepper’s Ghost" special effects presentation that puts a humorous spin on the science of the lunar surface and the extreme environmental conditions astronauts face on the Moon. Jim Lovell narrates, as a reluctant robot (designed to analyze lunar environmental extremes) is subjected to meteorites, loss of atmospheric pressure, solar radiation, and other lunar dangers, all in the name of scientific advancement—and humor.

The Adler, America’s First Planetarium, was founded in 1930 by Max Adler. The museum is home to two full-size planetarium theaters, including the world’s first all-digital StarRider Theater, and one of the world’s most important antique instrument collections. The Adler is a recognized leader in science education, with a focus on inspiring young people, particularly women and minorities, to pursue careers in science.

About BRC Imagination Arts

Founded in 1981, BRC Imagination Arts is the leader in the design, creation, and production of innovative and immersive experience-based attractions for museums, experiential marketing, theme parks, and cultural heritage sites worldwide.

BRC projects have consistently exceeded the expectations of clients and visitors, and have a proven track record of economic sustainability and the industry’s best record for on time, on budget performance. Clients include Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum, Adler Planetarium, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, NASA, Disney, Warner Brothers, and Universal Studios. With offices in California, Amsterdam, and the United Kingdom, BRC has been honored with over 250 international awards for creative excellence including two Academy Award nominations and 11 THEA Awards for Outstanding Achievement in themed entertainment. The company is currently engaged in major projects in the U.S., The Netherlands, South Africa, and the UK.

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Media Contact:
Kristen Collins, KMC Partners, 617-758-4193, kristen@kmcpartners.com