Overview
Display location:
- Museum Exhibit Hall
The Space Force gallery makes up the second room of the Exhibit Hall and consists of many different components.
Guests will first notice an oversized model of the U.S. Space Force seal. It consists of two sides, one detailing the symbolism behind the seal and the other showcasing the official signing of the Space Force into a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces on 20 December 2019.
In From Reel… To Real, learn about the science fiction inspirations behind our space-faring way of life. Many of our space pioneers and today’s Space Force Guardians grew up reading or watching sci-fi, leading them to dream of a world bigger than their own.
Guests can then take their photo in front of a Boeing X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle in a SCAPE suit mockup. The X-37B is a reusable unmanned spacecraft operated by the U.S. Air Force in collaboration with the U.S. Space Force. Its missions are classified. Technicians must wear SCAPE (Self Contained Atmospheric Protective Ensemble) during refueling to protect themselves from the dangerous hypergolic fuels.
In the Space Force 101 case, there are many components to what makes the Space Force unique. It illustrates the symbolism, organization, and ranking systems of the newest branch of the military.
As guests head to the next gallery, they will notice a 1/10th scale model of a Block II/A GPS (Navstar 2) satellite. GPS satellites give precise location information to both military and civilian users around the world. Launches of Block II satellites began in 1989, and GPS was fully operational by 1995. Almost all Block II/A satellites launched on Delta IIs from Launch Complex 17 at Cape Canaveral. The last Block II/A was not decommissioned until 2019.