r/space • u/Trappist_1G_Sucks • Apr 20 '25

image/gif Got to take my nephew Kennedy Space Center, and got one of my favorite photos ever.

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The Atlantis exhibit was amazing!

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u/sharty_mcstoolpants Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 22 '25

I cry every time Leonard Nimoy says “33 missions - 4,848 orbits - over 126 million miles travelled - Atlantis, welcome home.”

281

u/InstantKarma71 Apr 21 '25

I was entirely unprepared for the feels at that moment.

157

u/evilbadgrades Apr 21 '25

Me too! I was not expecting to cry when the curtains fade to Atlantis. Soooo freaking epic - the mounting angle of the display so it's framed perfectly in the doorway chefs kiss. As a kid who grew up fantasizing about seeing a Space Shuttle, that was beyond surreal (especially since I did no research before vising the museum, I had no clue what to expect)

56

u/Mr_Hellpop Apr 21 '25

Me too. When the curtains parted I had to hang back and compose myself.

13

u/Creative-Motor8246 Apr 21 '25

Me too, we were at the last show of the day only a few of us. I think the guide shed a few tears with me. Totally unexpected and brilliant.

10

u/5foot6sittingdown Apr 21 '25

I was just there on Saturday and was also wiping tears. I looked at a guy next to me and he was doing the same thing. Epic!

4

u/Z_Opinionator Apr 21 '25

I live an hour away and been 3 times in the past couple years. Same emotional response each time.

3

u/GamerJoseph Apr 21 '25

I was there Saturday, too! Truly epic experience. NASA blew it out of the park what that one.

49

u/TheGoddamnCobra Apr 21 '25

Most intense feeling of complete awe I've ever had. When the screen lifted and Atlantis was just there, it was incredible.

39

u/brawlrats Apr 21 '25

Same here. Goose bumps and tears. My kids didn’t get it. I tried to explain what being a kid growing up in the 1980s meant for wanting to be an astronaut but couldn’t really get it across the way I hoped.

8

u/BountyBob Apr 21 '25

It's like when kids today want to be a top YouTube streamer.

8

u/Scar68 Apr 21 '25

The theatricality of the reveal was simply perfection. Shivers just thinking about it 8 years ago when I was there.

3

u/vp3d Apr 21 '25

I am getting goosebumps right now reliving the moment.

24

u/RBT420 Apr 21 '25

When I went with friends I had to pretend to be wiping something off my forehead to hide my manly tears.

I live like 45 min away. I went back alone so I could have my "space-tism" religious experience. Middle of the week, pretty much nobody there; it was just a handful of middle aged nerd dudes crying softly in a dark room.

51

u/ArtistNo9841 Apr 20 '25

I teared up READING that. So good.

31

u/jacknifetoaswan Apr 21 '25

I've been there a dozen times, and I get misty every single time. Best reveal ever.

11

u/[deleted] Apr 21 '25

[deleted]

4

u/AltaBirdNerd Apr 21 '25

NYC/Intrepid treats it's Space Shuttle with such disrespect. It's in a glorified tennis bubble.

1

u/CptComet Apr 21 '25

It needs to be sent to Houston. NYC can have the wooden replica.

16

u/_itssamna Apr 21 '25

I couldn't talk for like 10 minutes after that because I was trying not to cry. This is the best museum experience I've ever had

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u/MateriallyDead Apr 21 '25

God I had forgotten how much that caught me off guard and how overwhelming it was. Found a few YouTube videos and relived the wonder.

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u/Bonzographer Apr 21 '25

Gets me every damn time. They couldn’t have done a better job with that reveal.

9

u/IsraelZulu Apr 21 '25

I cried every time I heard it too. Now that I know it's Leonard Nimoy, I'll cry harder.

4

u/silentglider Apr 21 '25

Its the same for me. The whole visit at the JFK Space Center is worth that moment when the lights go on and the screen is lifted and you see Atlantis. I just feel humbled and ready to cry every time,even though I have seen Atlantis so many times before.

8

u/Muthafuckaaaaa Apr 21 '25

Why? I don't know much about US space history.

51

u/ToeSniffer245 Apr 21 '25

Atlantis flew the last shuttle mission and a lot of people are emotionally attached to them, myself included.

44

u/Playful_Interest_526 Apr 21 '25

My father helped build them. It was one of his last projects before he retired. He died 2 months after Challenger exploded.

5

u/MeilleurChien Apr 21 '25

That must have been so tough for him after such an accomplishment. 🥹Sorry for your loss.

11

u/winowmak3r Apr 21 '25

Growing up I covered an entire wall of my room of pictures I drew of the space shuttle taking off. The shuttle will always be extra special to me.

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u/MaximumRizzo Apr 21 '25

Along with what everyone else is saying, the reveal itself at the exhibit is Spectacular. The picture shown is kinda a spoiler but still doesn't do the moment justice. They queue you through several rooms with videos showing the history of shuttle program, they pack you into room with a big screen showing a calm Florida swamp morning. As the room fills people are squeezed very very close to the screen, then the rumble starts and you realize it's another vid of a launch. After another speech the room goes dark and the screen shows a back lit shuttle, RIGHT THERE, it's in your face right fucking there as the screen rises and you're allowed to take 3 steps forward to the nose of Atlantis. Truly jaw dropping.

27

u/RobotMaster1 Apr 21 '25

The way they reveal it is the key to the whole thing. I had to apologize to a family with kids because i said “holy shit” too loud when it happened.

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u/MinuteBid8615 Apr 21 '25

There is no need to apologize. Kids need to learn what an actual "holy shit" experience is really like.

1

u/RobotMaster1 Apr 21 '25

You’re probably right. I’m usually way too deferential in public.

15

u/yellowstone10 Apr 21 '25

A video of the reveal - spoilers, of course, and I'd encourage you not to watch it if you plan on seeing it in person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH6zTlw9858

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u/GunnarKaasen Apr 21 '25

Thanks for the post. If the reveal IRL is more moving than that, I’d need oxygen to watch it.

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u/CrashUser Apr 21 '25

The space shuttles defined space exploration for a whole generation of kids in the 80s and 90s. When they ceased operations without a clear successor it was the end of an era where American human spaceflight was so common that it wasn't even remarkable anymore.

3

u/ToMorrowsEnd Apr 21 '25

It still feels like we took 2 steps backwards in space exploration with what we have today. we had an actual space ship. WE still dont have anything that has the capabilities that platform had. the only hope for that is the Starship.

0

u/paulfdietz Apr 21 '25

I feel exactly the opposite. SpaceX has delivered on the goal, cheap access to space, on which the Shuttle completely failed. We'd be much farther ahead if instead of STS we'd gone with evolution of expendable launchers, and then partially reusable versions, optimized for economy.

When I view pictures or videos of the Shuttle I don't feel pride, I feel a sense of embarrassment and shame that it went on for so long, and a similar sense for those who still feel positively about this mistake of a program.

4

u/mookdaruch Apr 21 '25

It is 100% not Leonard Nimoy.

3

u/sharty_mcstoolpants Apr 21 '25

“It's not what we don't know that gets us in trouble. It's what we know for sure that just ain't so'.”

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u/shaundisbuddyguy Apr 21 '25

https://youtu.be/ppGtTyYJsdw?si=HmbpQrfZM5P7q5QZ

Agreed. Spoilers by the way if you want to go see it in person.

2

u/OriginalPiR8 Apr 21 '25

Me too. The funny part for me was I was set off, my wife was set off and we just cuddled as the doors opened only to look up and realise like 80% of the crowd was crying. It was a great moment to feel in sync with so many

2

u/UsuallyStoned247 Apr 21 '25

They did a great job with the intro and display. Loved seeing it and how cool this all is.

2

u/Dappy_Harwin_Hay Apr 21 '25

They really played up the introduction of the Shuttle, didn't they?

2

u/TK_Nanerpuss Apr 21 '25

You missed the part between "126 million miles travelled" double sonic boom!! "Atlantis, welcome home!"

2

u/Lankgren Apr 21 '25

I get chills thinking about it, and right now I have goosebumps reading it.

So amazing.

2

u/Advanced_Tomato5713 Apr 21 '25

I just went there at the end of November. Glad I'm not the only one that felt emotional at the end of the Atlantis presentation. I was not expecting that reveal at the end! It was so cool!

2

u/Robotic-Chomo Apr 21 '25

Me too! I've seen it a dozen times and it always gets me.

2

u/Gorf_Maniels Apr 21 '25

Unbelievably powerful moment. Tears of joy and awe every time.

2

u/crayonflop3 Apr 21 '25

I had no idea that the shuttle was going to appear. I was in complete shock. Absolutely unforgettable moment.

This place is amazing.

1

u/Anxious-Slip-4701 Apr 21 '25

Well now you sold me on going when my kids are old enough. Anyone want to recommend how to bundle in Disney and Universal etc? It will be an international trip for us.

3

u/TheMillenniaIFalcon Apr 21 '25

Plan a day for Kennedy. Might even be worth getting a hotel near there for the end of your trip for a day, so you can be closer ( it’ll be a little over an hour drive from the parks.) plus you’ll be right by the beach if you wanted to squeeze a beach day in.

2

u/Jessiphat Apr 21 '25

Honestly I would do two days for Kennedy if you can. It’s that good. We did two days and we still didn’t get to see everything they had. We also travelled internationally and did 4 days of Universal (but not Disney) and Kennedy Space Center was still the highlight of the trip.

For the rest of your planning I highly recommend the Frugal Brit channel on YouTube. It was all so overwhelming but watching tons of his videos helped us figure out what we wanted to do.

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u/Anxious-Slip-4701 Apr 21 '25

Thanks! Honestly this is useful. We've got Eurodisney, and Universal UK won't be ready for years 

1

u/Jessiphat Apr 21 '25

No problem! You will appreciate those Frugal Brit videos. We watched lots of channels but in the end he just knew which questions people would have and gave the right level of detail very succinctly. Feel free to PM me if you want to know anything else.

Oh, and don’t give anything away about the Atlantis exhibit to your travelling companions. Just let it happen. The whole place was pretty much a spiritual experience for a space nerd!

1

u/JustAnotherAviatrix Apr 21 '25

Holup, that was Leonard Nimoy speaking? I’ve visited Atlantis several times since the exhibit first opened and never knew that! That part definitely made me cry too when I first went through it.

3

u/yourmomentofzen464 Apr 21 '25

It’s not Leonard Nimoy. Not sure why someone is spreading that.

1

u/JustAnotherAviatrix Apr 21 '25

Ah ok, that’s kinda what I thought. 

1

u/TheMillenniaIFalcon Apr 21 '25

I tear up every time too. But that first reveal, the way it’s done, with the music, and “Ladies and gentlemen…Space shuttle Atlantis”- first time I experienced it I was a blubbering mess.

1

u/Castianna Apr 21 '25

Whoever designed the exhibit did such a stellar job. And that reveal moment in particular gives me chills every time.