Adler Planetarium, Chicago, IL

Shows & Exhibits

Shoot for the Moon

Shoot for the Moon Exhibition

A Journey with Jim Lovell

Mission Moon

Sponsors

Shoot for the Moon Exhibition

We've been to the Moon. We're going back.
What part will you play in our next space adventure?

Shoot for the Moon at the Adler Planetarium! This new permanent exhibition highlights the exciting stories of space exploration and America's bold plans to return to the Moon. The exhibition begins with A Journey with Jim Lovell, featuring the fully–restored Gemini 12 spacecraft and the Lovell Collection of personal space artifacts. In Mission: Moon, young visitors discover the thrills and dangers of being an explorer and imagine their own futures in space.

A Journey with Jim Lovell

A Journey with Jim Lovell — the first gallery of the Shoot for the Moon exhibition — tells the story of Astronaut Jim Lovell's life and career using artifacts from his personal collection. Learn about his initial setbacks and ultimate triumphs as one of America's space pioneers.

The fully-restored Gemini 12 spacecraft, flown by Captain Lovell and Buzz Aldrin in 1966, is the centerpiece of a dynamic presentation celebrating the Gemini 12 mission and America's race to the Moon.

Mission Moon

The second gallery — Mission: Moon — continues the story from the Gemini program to focus on the historic accomplishments of the hugely successful Apollo missions, which saw America reach its goal of landing a man on the Moon. Serve as a member of an exploration team going back to the Moon in the 21st century in the exciting Lunar Dangers Training Lab. The Lunar Leap and Touch Down interactives — and other state–of–the–art exhibit elements — allow you to discover the thrills and challenges of lunar exploration and imagine your own future in space.

Mission Moon Interactives

Are you ready to live on the Moon? The Apollo astronauts made it look easy, but exploring the Moon is tough! Find out if you have what it takes with these one-of-a-kind-interactive experiences.

WHY GO TO THE MOON? Before launching for the Moon, you’ll need to know why you’re going there. By stepping on the light circles on the gallery floor, compelling reasons to explore the Moon will beam onto the walls before you. Young visitors especially will enjoy getting into the action as they jump from one light circle to the next.

MOON WALL Explore the surface of the Moon using the new, interactive Moon Wall, an ultra-high-resolution display 13 feet wide and 6 feet tall. You can use a joystick to fly over a 3-D model of the Moon or jump to special areas of the Moon, such as Tranquility Base, the landing site for the first Moon landing, Apollo 11. The images of the Moon incorporate the latest ones taken by the camera (called Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera or LROC) aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft, currently orbiting the Moon. LRO is paving the way for a human return to the Moon.

TOUCH DOWN One of the most harrowing moments of every Apollo mission was the lunar landing. Would the crews run out of fuel before finding a safe spot to touch down? Would they be able to control the Lunar Module with enough precision to avoid a crash landing? The Touch Down interactive tests your piloting skills as you attempt your own lunar descent and landing. After a quick briefing, take the controls of a lunar landing vehicle. Will you make a successful soft landing or will this be a one-way trip to the Moon?

LUNAR LEAP Feel what it’s like to jump on the Moon. This lunar gravity simulation uses an inclined plane outfitted with two slider boards to recreate the sensation of jumping in the 1/6-gravity of the Moon. First, measure your Earth jump. Then try a lunar leap, as you lean back onto one of the slider boards and push yourself up with your feet. A green-screen video effect shows what the jump would look like on the lunar surface.

MOON VISION On the Moon, things are not always what they seem. Depth perception is an enormous challenge. On Earth, the atmosphere makes far away objects appear hazy. Because the Moon has no atmosphere, all objects on the surface can be seen clearly – even if they’re a mile away. The Moon also lacks the familiar landmarks (such as trees and buildings) that help determine size and distance on Earth. The Moon Vision interactive gives you a feel for the disorienting effects of the lunar surface. Peer into a lunar landscape diorama and attempt to judge which Moon rocks are largest.

LUNAR DANGERS LAB This immersive multimedia experience conveys the science of the Moon via the dangers of lunar exploration. The lab features an animated robot named A.L.E.X. (Analyst of Lunar Environmental Extremes), who thinks he’s ready to live on the Moon. But does he really know what he’s getting into? In this animated show, A.L.E.X. goes through rigorous tests to see if he can survive the dangers of the Moon, which include Temperature Extremes, Solar Radiation, Micrometeorites and Lunar Dust. The scientific content is narrated by Captain Lovell and delivered with visual puns and environmental special effects, making it fun and accessible for all ages.

EXTRA! EXTRA! Complete the experience by making some news of your own - appear on the front pages of a future newspaper with a gigantic newspaper photo op. Peek through the cutouts in the image and snap a picture of yourself making history as a Moon explorer. Headline “Future Moon Astronauts Chosen.”