This fully immersive experience launches young explorers into deep space. As a gateway to the Grainger Sky Theater, the Welcome Gallery introduces visitors to key concepts behind space exploration and inspires them to ask questions. Immediately upon entering the gallery, visitors are placed in the first-person perspective of a space explorer—colorful digital projections of space line the walls and visitor silhouettes become surrounded by a glowing aura.

Four different interactive zones line the passageway, representing four occupations: astronomer, astronaut, engineer, and theoretician. The core of the experience happens as people realize their shadows are reactive and that the shadows trigger portals of space-related content. As visitors step into the interactive zone, objects emanate from their shadows and deepen the experience. For instance, when you step into the astronomer’s zone, your silhouette spawns a lens, which itself becomes interactive, and reveals a magnified star field. Each zone also features original video of today’s prominent explorers sharing their experiences and lending insight into the field.