Harkness Screens, the world's leading manufacturer of projection screens for entertainment venues is helping take visitors on a journey into space as part of the Shuttle Launch Experience at the Kennedy Space Center.

The $60 million, 44,000-square-foot Shuttle Launch Experience is the most technologically advanced attraction ever created for NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and gives riders a realistic feel of what it's like to blast off in a space shuttle.

After riders are strapped into their seats, the shuttle simulator lifts off, taking its "crew" on a four-minute sensory overload ride into space, culminating with a 63-degree tiltback that abruptly ceases.  When passengers arrive in orbit, the shuttle's cargo bay doors open and passengers are tilted slightly forward to show a spectacular view of planet Earth just as real-life NASA astronauts would see it.

Emil Poggi, chief operating officer of Poggi Designs Inc., a design engineering company that specializes in movie theaters, post production facilities and theme parks aimed at show elements, projection sound and control systems was approached by Technomedia Solutions LLC, the systems integrator for the attraction to work on the project.

"Technomedia Solutions who had the contract reached out to us because this was a fairly involved design project and something that we have years of experience in designing," says Poggi.  "I have been using Harkness Screens for the past 10 years in the designs of rides, attractions and movie theaters.  The quality of its screens and frames, creative designs, attention to detail, and customer service made it the obvious choice for this special project."

According to Poggi, the screen requirements for this attraction were very unique and very specific.  In order to accomplish the true feeling of being in space, the Shuttle Launch Experience called for a 20-foot by 38-foot rear projection screen with a custom frame about four feet larger to be installed and hung at a 75-degree angle, 60 feet above the ground with a mock up of a space shuttle underneath it.  The tricky installation required some ingenuity on the part of Harkness Screens.  The company came up with the idea of a window shade at the high end of the screen.  This involved designing a frame in which the screen could be winched up and dropped in like a window shade so it could be pulled down with drag on it and then laced in place.  The lower end of the screen frame and screen was radiused (curved) to represent the horizon line of the earth and corresponds with the radius of the earth as seen from the Shuttle when it is 100 miles above earth.

"Harkness Screens was the only company that was able to provide us with everything we needed for the project - all at one shop," says Poggi.  "They were able to design, and engineer the screen and frame and also have it inspected, seismically certified and approved.  Harkness Screens did a fabulous job in the actual heavy engineering of the frame."

In order to accommodate the large volume of visitors passing through the Shuttle Launch Experience, three simulators were made.  As a result, Harkness Screens had to create the same custom screen and frame multiple times.  "Harkness' screens have provided for incredible images that continue to captivate passengers," continues Poggi.  "All of the NASA astronauts that have taken a ride in the simulator swear by it and claim it is as close to being in the real shuttle as anyone can get."

About Harkness Screens

Harkness Screens is the world's leading manufacturer and supplier of large screens.  Thousands of screens are supplied every year for cinema, film production, special effects, live events, houses of worship and custom AV applications.  Founded in the 1920s, Harkness has screens in place in over 50 countries.  With its main office located in the UK, other offices and factories are located in France, Beijing and Fredericksburg, VA.  Harkness Screens combines unrivalled experience with the latest technology to provide innovative solutions to the company's key markets worldwide.  For more information, visit the Harkness Screens web page at www.harkness-screens.com.

See also:
3D/4D Theatre: Harkness Shines With Specialty and 3D Screens
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Request for Interest (RFI)
Astronauts check out NASA's new Theme Park-style Simulator