TACOMA, Wash., July 31, 2022 – Over last weekend on Saturday, July 23, 2022, at the historic Tacoma Armory in Seattle-Tacoma, THE INFINITE, the first and largest NASA-inspired collective immersive event, hosted four young space lovers from the Make-A-Wish foundation to fulfill their dreams of experiencing space exploration. Adding to the incredible exhibit experience, THE INFINITE surprised the children and teens with a special guest, retired NASA astronaut Dorothy Marie “Dottie” Metcalf-Lindenburger.
The event began in the afternoon as the Make-A-Wish recipients and their families arrived at THE INFINITE excited for the out-of-this-world adventure. Upon arrival, the children were welcomed by an astronaut mascot and were provided with their very own flight suits, perfect for their upcoming immersive space journey.
Dressed as proper astronauts, the children and their families were fitted with VR headsets and made their way into the full-scale replica of the International Space Station (ISS), where they roamed freely, interacting with the many 360° multi-sensory attractions to feel the immensity of space and learn about life aboard the ISS. The young astronauts then headed out of the ISS to experience the first-ever cinematic spacewalk captured in 3D, 360° virtual reality, witnessing views of Earth that left them breathless.
The event continued as the children were welcomed to the second half of their experience where they wrote personalized messages on paper lanterns, to later release outside. As the children finished writing their messages, retired NASA astronaut “Dottie” Metcalf-Lindenburger surprised the families and shared stories from her time as an astronaut.
The children were in awe of meeting a real-life astronaut, and could not contain their excitement as they intently listened to Dottie and asked her many questions about her time in space. Dottie took time to personally meet with each child, gifting them and their siblings a signed headshot and an official patch that she actually wore on her space suit. To close out the experience, the children and their families made their way out of the exhibit and released their decorated lanterns up into space, making for a wonderfully heartwarming end to the day.
Speaking on the event, the retired astronaut Dottie stated, “I love meeting kids fascinated by space, and it’s great to share my story and see their faces light up.” She also added, “it was also really special spending one-on-one time with each of them, and hearing about their experiences and why they are passionate about space exploration.”
It was truly a touching and exciting day at THE INFINITE as children, and their families from Lynnwood, Tacoma, Burien and Mount Vernon had the incredible opportunity to explore space like never before. THE INFINITE will be at the Tacoma Armory through September 5. For more information on and how to book tickets, please visit theinfiniteseattle.com.
Content Source: Courtesy of Ashlee Phillips
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
