Our image below shows John Glenn in "The White Room" just before launching aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-95 (with Pedro Duque).

The White Room is a small area at the end of the Orbiter Access Arm where astronauts are met by the "closeout crew" for final suiting checks and assistance in taking their seats for launch. As with all elements of Space Academy we have faithfully re-created the environment.

Behind them our guests have left the sights and sounds of Florida. In front of them is the hatch leading to their launch positions. Sounds of the pre-launch preparations come from multiple tannoy positions as a suited member of our own closeout crew invites our visitors to take their places in the Crew Return Vehicle. Compare these two photographs to see how faithfully we have reproduced the White Room in Valencia.