Mission: Space Grand Opening
Page 4 of 8

Carly concluded by introducing the current NASA administrator, Sean O'Keefe, who had experienced the attraction earlier in the day with a host of local school children, from Orange County who had participated in an outreach programme, developed by NASA. Sean stressed the importance of breeding university-educated scientists, mathematicians and engineers to continue the startling work that had made NASA so successful for 45 years. The crowd whooped and hollered as a host of NASA legends were paraded in front of the audience, including Wally Schirra, Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin.

As the final astronaut mounted the stage, a live feed from the International Space Station ("ISS�) was projected onto the side of the attraction building. The remarkable images of Russian Cosmonaut Commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu stunned the audience, as the pair joked with Eisner and O'Keefe, encouraging them to hurry up and start the countdown. Lu remarked "It makes me proud to represent everyone who chooses to wonder and explore the sky. I still remember how I felt when I was chosen to go to the International Space Station, and you know what? It's just as incredible as you think it is."

Click here for a much larger version of this picture
(1024 X 710, 136,373 bytes)

As the countdown reached its crescendo, a huge fireball, reminiscent of a shuttle launch, was projected into the dark sky, as a storm of exploding shells in vibrant reds and yellows soared above our heads. As the show concluded, guests were invited to experience Mission:Space for themselves. Although, Michael and Carly quickly left the stage, the legendary astronauts lingered for photographs and to exchange stories with eager fans.