NATIONAL NEWS (ST. CLOUD, Minn.) — — Planning is underway for Inspiration Space Port, a year-round family destination that will place Shuttle Inspiration, a full-scale Space Shuttle mock-up, inside a towering 300-foot-wide, 175-foot-tall dome. Wrapped in a spectacular LED exterior, the dome will become a glowing beacon on the Minnesota skyline-a new landmark visible for miles.
Inside, surrounding the massive spacecraft, visitors will journey through space exploration with cutting-edge technology, simulators, interactive attractions and cinematic storytelling designed to make them feel as though they have stepped off Earth toward worlds beyond.
At the heart of the ISP vision is a simple idea: Don’t just show outer space to people. Bring them to it.
“There were earlier plans to simply put the shuttle on display, but it turns out we could do so much more with it,” said Jason Bernick, Founder of Inspiration Space Port. “We have a chance to create something really special here-something families will want to experience together and kids will never forget. I want this to become one of those places you simply have to see.”
“The goal is to erase the line between watching and participating,” said Cliff Dew, CEO of Jumping Frog Entertainment, the Chief Architect & Creative Director of Inspiration Space Port. “Our team is creating a destination where you don’t just learn about space exploration-you step inside it. The technology we have available today gives us the opportunity to take families places they could once only imagine.”
And behind all the excitement is a larger purpose. By bringing science, technology, engineering and mathematics to life through immersive, hands-on experiences, Inspiration Space Port is being designed to demonstrate STEM rather than simply teach it-sparking curiosity and giving young people new reasons to become excited about science, technology and space.
And Inspiration Space Port won’t wait for families to come to it. Plans also include the Shuttle Bus Ambassador, a traveling interactive STEM experience designed to bring space exploration directly to schools, libraries, community centers and malls across Minnesota. Featuring all-new interactive STEM experiences and a state-of-the-art space shuttle simulator, the Ambassador will take the excitement of Inspiration Space Port on the road-bringing the mission to communities across the state.
The project is currently in the planning and development stage, with work focused on site evaluation, attraction development, strategic partnerships, educational collaborations and sponsorship opportunities.
In the coming months, new details will be revealed as the vision for Inspiration Space Port continues to take shape.
Shuttle Inspiration has already made an extraordinary journey to Minnesota. Now, a new journey is about to begin.
ABOUT INSPIRATION SPACE PORT:
Inspiration Space Port is a proposed year-round family destination attraction being developed in Minnesota around Shuttle Inspiration, a full-scale Space Shuttle mock-up. The shuttle will be suspended and fully accessible inside a spectacular 300-foot-wide, 175-foot-tall dome wrapped in an exterior LED blanket that will create a glowing landmark visible for miles.
Led creatively by Cliff Dew, CEO of Jumping Frog Entertainment and Chief Architect & Creative Director of Inspiration Space Port, Cliff and his team are designing ISP to bring space exploration to life through immersive attractions, interactive technology, simulators and hands-on STEM experiences.
Learn more at: https://www.isp.earth/
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