Some things are simply better the second time around. Space Explorers: THE INFINITE is Houston’s full-immersion virtual reality exhibit showcasing the International Space stations, complete with audio and visuals captured directly from the ISS, that was first introduced to Houstonians in winter 2021. This summer, it is new and improved and back for a second run at Silver Street Studios.
By touring the show [after the Houston launch in 2021], there’s a lot of learnings that came back,” said Eric Albert, CEO of PHI Studios, a company that worked on the presentation and curation of this immersive installation. “We incorporated some of the feedback we had from visitors in terms of how do we make the experience better.”
One of the first new additions is a wall right next to the entrance line presents the portraits and biographies of the astronauts that visitors will later see while in the experience.
Another addition is the triangular-shaped “elevator” that symbolizes the astronauts’ approach to the rocket before their eventual launch into space, replete with an audio recording from an ISS crew member.
“The audio is Anne McClain describing how she felt when she was walking towards the rocket,” Albert said. “There’s an artist as well who narrates the experience and what people can expect when they enter THE INFINITE.”
Once off the elevator, but before entering THE INFINITE’s main showroom, visitors are fitted with headgear including googles and earphones … and then, it’s into the ISS.
Additional content has been added since the 2021 iteration, however Albert stresses that the entire experience is made up of 60 orbs that activate and tell a story – complete with crystal clear visuals and recordings taken on the ISS – as visitors traverse the virtual exhibit.
A regular ticket lasts for about one hour, including approximately 30-35 minutes in the virtual reality space, but there is an option to add an additional 10 minutes of VR time for an extra fee.
“There’s over two hours of content that’s available inside the experience. So technically, you could return two or three times and never repeat the same experience. You’re getting to see completely new content,” he said.
Another addition is a display room at the end of the exhibit which shows a film about the Artemis mission, which aims to eventually put humans back on the moon in preparation for even further deep space exploration.
“You can watch the making of the content [that you just saw in virtual reality] … so how the cameras were built, how the cameras were set up in space and how they were installed by the astronauts. It’s sort of the ‘behind the scenes,’ if you will, of how the content was made and captured,” Albert said.
The installation displays two cameras inside the same room. One of the cameras is a replica of the two cameras that are still up in the International Space Station. The second camera is the actual camera that was used to film outside the ISS.
“When the spacewalk was captured in August 2021, that camera came back to Earth, and we show it as part of the exhibition as people are leaving,” he said.
THE INFINITE still has plans for the future related to Artemis II, so it’s quite possible one of the next iterations of the installation will have even more content to explore and learn about.
“In September 2025, Artemis II will be going up with a few crew members. It sort of preparing them to know the terrain, if you will. Our intention is to eventually film Artemis III, which is when people are [going to land on the moon],” he said.
“The hope is that there’s going to be cameras up on the moon, and then the intention would be to include some of that content in THE INFINITE because right now we’re focused primarily on the International Space Station, but THE INFINITE is about human space exploration,” he added. “If there’s a way for us to include into THE INFINITE some of the contents that’s going to be captured as part of the Artemis launches and the Artemis missions, then that’s certainly our hope.”
Tickets are going as fast as the rockets can fly, so grab them while you still can. Space Explorers: THE INFINITE is the closest residents in Space City can come to floating in orbit without ever leaving Earth.
Entry to Space Explorers: THE INFINITE runs 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Thursdays, 11:15 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 10 – 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, and 10 a,m. – 6 p.m. Sundays (with a special opening 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Wednesdsay, June 19) at Silver Street Studios at Sawyer Yards, 2000 Edwards Street. The installation is scheduled to run through the end of June, but based on demand, it potentially may stay longer. For tickets or information, visit theinfinitehouston.com. $29 – $38.50.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
