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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

News stories and media coverage of the Gemini XII Exhibit at the Adler Planetarium

Gemini 12 capsule docks at Adler

Astronaut James Lovell made famous the phrase "Houston, we have a problem.'' That was during the near-disastrous Apollo 13 mission, celebrated in a best-selling book and hit film.

On Monday? No problem, Chicago.

Another space ship commanded by Lovell -- the Gemini 12 capsule -- was carefully lifted by crane from the back of a truck and gingerly slid through the doors of the Adler Planetarium.

"If it had been a windy day, we would have been in trouble,'' said Adler president Paul Knappenberger.

On a beautiful spring morning, the craft that roared into the heavens some 40 years ago landed safely in a new and, Adler officials hope, long-term home.

Lovell, who lives on the North Shore, has become something of a living logo for the Adler as it tries to broaden its appeal from planets to people -- specifically, space heroes. The 4,500-pound capsule will be combined with other Lovell artifacts to serve as a centerpiece for a new exhibit on man's efforts -- past and future -- to reach the moon.

Ship in disrepair at NASA museum

As Lovell tells it, the capsule was a forlorn and mostly ignored artifact at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. "No one was even looking at it anymore,'' said Lovell, who helped secure a long-term loan of the craft to the Adler.

But first, Gemini 12 needed some restoration. For that, officials turned to the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, which has become something of a fix-it shop for old spaceships, having refurbished a handful of NASA craft. During the last six months, the capsule was cleaned, and a couple dozen parts -- such as a joystick used to control the ship -- were tracked down in government warehouses and reunited with Gemini 12.

The outside was corroded, said Cosmosphere technology director Jack Graber -- temperatures had reached some 8,000 degrees when it re-entered the atmosphere on Nov. 15, 1966. Gases had also built up inside the craft -- some from decaying parts, some from moisture left behind by Lovell and partner "Buzz" Aldrin, who shared 94 hours inside.

As was typical of the thinking at the time, preservationists had wrapped the capsule in plexiglass, which may have kept fingerprints off it, but also accelerated deterioration, Graber said.

For the team of four restoration experts, "It took a little bit of work,'' Graber said. Knappenberger put the tab at between $30,000 and $40,000.

The capsule looks well-worn, and that's the idea. Rather than restore it to the original, pre-flight condition, Adler officials wanted it to look as it did when it was plucked from the Atlantic in 1966.

Full story here from the Chicago Sun-Times: www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-gemini11.html

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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Adler retrospective honors Apollo 13 pioneer

James Lovell was interested in rockets and space exploration long before a national space program existed.

As a young boy, Lovell wrote a letter to the American Rocket Society seeking advice about becoming a rocket engineer.

The organization wrote back advising him to earn an engineering degree at MIT or Cal Tech. Lovell chose a different route, entering the Naval Academy and eventually becoming an astronaut and a one of the first men to explore space as a commander in NASA's Gemini and Apollo programs.

"When he was born, there were no careers in this field," said Marvin Bolt, director of history of astronomy at the Adler Planetarium.

Lovell's letter and the American Rocket Society's reply are just two of his many personal artifacts on display at the Adler Planetarium's new exhibit, "A Journey With Jim Lovell," which opened earlier this month.

The exhibit is described as an immersive, multipurpose gallery experience and includes two multimedia presentations, narrated by Lovell, with original NASA footage from Lovell's Gemini and Apollo missions. The fully restored Gemini 12 flown by Lovell and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin in November 1966 is the centerpiece of the show.

During the multimedia presentations, key features of the spacecraft are brought to life with lighting effects in and on the capsule. A floor to ceiling backlit wall is located behind the spacecraft and features a photograph of Earth taken from one of the Gemini missions.

Exhibits surrounding the capsule tell stories about the Gemini 12 mission and the moments Lovell and Aldrin shared during their time in space.

Lovell, who now lives in the northwest suburbs and owns Lovell's – a Lake Forest restaurant, helped the Adler secure the Gemini 12 spacecraft from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The spacecraft, one of four flown by Lovell during his career as an astronaut, was previously housed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

Before the spacecraft arrived at the Adler, it was restored at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center. The four-month restoration included taking an inventory of the spacecraft's parts and condition, fixing some corrosion on the body as well as some of the wear and deterioration visible on the interior.

"A Journey With Jim Lovell" is the first half of the Adler's "Shoot for the Moon" exhibit. The second half of the exhibit opens on Nov. 11, the 40th anniversary of the Gemini 12 mission, and will offer visitors the opportunity to walk in the boots of an explorer and experience the thrill of trying out for the astronaut program and flying in space.

Lovell is best known as the commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission in 1970. An explosion in one of the oxygen tanks crippled the spacecraft during flight, forcing the crew to orbit the Earth and return to without landing on the moon.

However, "A Journey With Jim Lovell" depicts much more than the astronaut's involvement in the space program. Instead, the exhibit tells his life story, beginning with his childhood interests.

Visitors will also learn about the life-threatening risks Lovell took during his time as a Navy test pilot and an astronaut.

Source: www.suburbanchicagonews.com/sunpub/lisle/news/6_1_NA19_ADLER_S10728.htm

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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

BRC Imagination Arts Heralds Adler Planetarium's New ''Journey with Jim Lovell''

Planetarium Now Offering Preview That Highlights America's Early Space Exploration

CHICAGO & BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 2006--BRC Imagination Arts (http://www.brcweb.com), one of the world's leading creators of distinctive experience exhibits for museums, corporate visitor centers and heritage attractions, today announced it has completed production of the new "A Journey With Jim Lovell" exhibition at the renowned Adler Planetarium (http://www.adlerplanetarium.org). The exhibit, a summer preview of the upcoming "Shoot for the Moon" exhibition that will include the restored Gemini 12 spacecraft and artifacts from the personal collection of Captain James A. Lovell, Jr., aims to educate visitors on the Gemini missions that were critical to the successful Apollo moon landing in 1969.

Tapping into BRC's experience design approach of "Showmanship Meets Scholarship(TM)," A Journey With Jim Lovell adds to Adler's already-deep content on different areas of astronomical study. A captivating, immersive experience, the exhibit fascinates and informs visitors by putting them in the boots of the Gemini mission astronauts who succeeded by "dreaming big, and never giving up." Initial pre-concept planning for the exhibition began in 2005. The preview exhibition opened July 8th and the complete "Shoot for the Moon" exhibition will open November 11, 2006 - the 40th anniversary of the Gemini 12 mission launch.

"With renewed attention on space science and the future of our universe, it is vital that museums like ours educate and excite the public on these topics. To inspire the next generation of explorers, the Adler must make science and space exploration relevant and thrilling to young people," said Dr. Paul Knappenberger, Jr., president of the Adler Planetarium. "Working with BRC, we're creating a space exploration experience that immerses, educates and engages visitors of all ages by capturing the drama of NASA's early space missions and bringing them to life."

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.

"For 25 years, BRC has been revolutionizing the way museums emotionally connect with the public. The science of space and the wonders of the universe are too important to be allowed to be boring," said Bob Rogers, CEO and founder of BRC Imagination Arts. "We owe it to ourselves, and to the future, to make certain these early space missions are thrilling to Adler Planetarium audiences of all ages, but especially to today's young people. They are the CEOs, innovators, leaders, senators, governors and presidents of the mid to late 21st century. If we fail them, we fail ourselves."

Source: biz.yahoo.com/bw/060807/20060807005338.html?.v=1

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