Atlantis, the space shuttle that has traveled to space 33 times, is now on display at the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibition at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, according to NBC News.
The Atlantis shuttle is displayed at an angle, with its cargo bay doors open and its robotic arm outstretched, allowing visitors to see inside the shuttle.
"I'm not going to lie - I shed a tear," Jess Johnting, a resident of Boca Raton, Florida, who is an avid space fan and had been looking forward to the exhibit opening.
More than 40 astronauts representing all 33 of Atlantis' missions to space attended the grand opening. Bangs and sparks went off as the exhibit "launched" to smoke. Visitors then went inside where they were shown a video on the origin and history of the space shuttle program. They then see the shuttle itself.
"I can't believe how long it took to build," Brittney Frey, 13, or McDonough, Georgia, told NBC.
"It's amazing how far it's come," Aaron Frey, her brother, age 10, added.
"It was breathtaking," John Hurley, a resident of West Palm Beach, Florida, said. "It blew my mind."
Some found it difficult to look at the space shuttle, which has been permanently grounded.
"I have mixed emotions," Jessica Hurley said. "It's kind of bittersweet."
She felt the presentation did the shuttle justice and planned to return to the exhibit again.
The building that houses the space shuttle exhibit allows viewers to look at the shuttle from different angles over multiple floors. The Space Center is displaying the shuttle as if it were in orbit, mid-mission. Other retired space shuttles, displayed at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., the California Science Center in Los Angeles and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York, all present the shuttles in a horizontal position.
"The size of it - what you see on TV doesn't compare to real life," Ricky Rawls, a resident of Crystal River, Florida, said. "It's an awesome flying machine."
Rawls was not the only one to be surprised by the size of the shuttle up close.
"It's just amazing, incredible," Mike Kitsap, a resident of Orlando, Florida, who has been following the preparation of the Atlantis exhibit via the center's KSC Visitor Complex's online webcam, said.
The event organizers hope the exhibit will inspire the next generation of scientists, astronauts and explorers. Many kids were in awe of the exhibit, so the organizers may be well on their way.
"It was really cool," Markis Cheng, 10, a resident of Arcadia, California, who hopes to go to space someday, said. "I've always wanted to see what happens when you float."
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