Apollo 11 VR & naval aviation

NAS PENSACOLA, Fla. - This year is the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, which happened July 20, 1969. For dreamers who’ve ever wanted to explore space, the National Naval Aviation Museum is making it come true via its Apollo 11 Virtual Reality (VR) attraction. Would-be space enthusiasts can walk in the footsteps of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin during the museum’s 5-minute VR experience, including climbing aboard the rocket and a row of 12 chairs facing a replica Houston Mission Control. The seats shake, pitch and roll to simulate the feeling of being hurled into space. VR riders get a 360 degree view of earth and space while heading to the moon. Animation of the historic 1969 landing allows guests to see what the astronauts may have witness and felt on the moon’s surface. Actors dressed in white button ups and skinny 1960s era black ties give museum guests a glimpse into the experiences of the flight control team at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston during the landing. “Naval aviation involvement in space is phenomenal,” said Sterling Gilliam, director of the museum. The first American in space, first to orbit the earth (Mercury 7), first man to walk on the moon, and last man to walk on the moon were all naval aviators, Gilliam told the NW Florida Daily News. “This is a perfect fit (for) the museum as we tell the wonderful story of Americans in space, specifically naval aviators in space.” (Source: NW Florida Daily News 04/05/19) Several of those astronauts trained at either NAS Meridian, Miss., and/or Pensacola.