Orlando Science Center’s Mission: Astronaut exhibit opens with six training zones and Space for Art display

A new hands-on space training experience arrives in Orlando

Orlando Science Center has opened a new traveling exhibition, Mission: Astronaut, inviting visitors to move through a structured set of challenges modeled on real-world spaceflight skills. The exhibit debuted to the public at noon on January 24, 2026, and is scheduled to remain on view through May 3, 2026. Access is included with general admission and is free for members during the run.

The exhibition is organized into six immersive zones, each tying interactive activities to core STEM concepts spanning physics, biology, and engineering. The layout is designed to walk guests through a training arc—from initial briefing to future mission planning—using short, activity-driven stations rather than passive displays.

Six zones simulate key stages of astronaut preparation

The first section, “Welcome to Training,” introduces visitors to mission roles and teamwork through a structured briefing format. From there, “Prepare for Space” focuses on aerospace engineering fundamentals through hands-on simulation activities meant to mirror the kind of decision-making used in spacecraft design and operations.

• Living in Space emphasizes the constraints of microgravity, including how ordinary tasks become complex when objects float and stability is limited.

• Science in Space connects experimentation aboard the International Space Station to research applications that also inform Earth-based science.

• Space Operations places guests in the role of mission specialists responsible for maintaining spacecraft systems under challenging conditions.

• The Future of Space Exploration shifts from current operations to forward-looking design, asking visitors to plan habitats for astronauts living on distant worlds.

Accessibility and bilingual design built into exhibit approach

Orlando Science Center has positioned Mission: Astronaut as an exhibit intended to be broadly usable by families and school groups. The installation is designed to be accessible and bilingual, a format intended to widen participation while maintaining a consistent set of learning objectives across the six zones.

Space for Art adds an adjacent creative dimension

Alongside the training-focused exhibit, the science center is also hosting Space for Art in Fusion: A STEAM Gallery. Curated by astronaut and artist Nicole Stott, the gallery includes works from astronauts, NASA scientists, and young artists from around the world. A focal object is an art spacesuit covered with more than 800 pieces of children’s artwork, underscoring the museum’s effort to present space exploration through both technical and cultural lenses.

Both installations emphasize participation—one through mission-style problem solving, the other through art that reflects how space exploration is communicated and imagined on Earth.

The combined programming expands the science center’s space-themed offerings during a period of heightened public interest in human spaceflight and astronaut training concepts, while anchoring the experience in structured, activity-based learning.