Space Junk to Play at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Beginning Dec. 21
Smithsonian Theaters will launch its latest giant-screen film, Space Junk, Dec. 21 at the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater in the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall and at the Airbus IMAX Theater in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.
Space Junk, narrated by Tom Wilkinson, is the first movie to explore the exponentially expanding ring of debris that threatens the safety of the Earth’s orbits. Harnessing the magical imagery of 3-D, Giant Screen, Full Dome and digital theater, director Melissa Butts takes viewers soaring—from the stunning depths of Meteor Crater to an unprecedented view of increasingly crowded orbits, 22,000 miles above Earth.
On screen, Don Kessler, retired head of NASA’s Orbital Debris Office and the “Father of Space Junk,” reaches back to the beginning of the solar system for understanding and guides viewers through the challenges they face in protecting the orbits for the future. At risk is the future of space exploration and the safety of the extensive satellite network that powers modern-day communication systems. This visually explosive journey of discovery weighs the solutions aimed at restoring Earth’s orbits. Fueling this story are stunning images that transport viewers by wrapping them in star fields and allowing them to witness massive collisions in space as though they were in the center of the action.
“We set out to recreate the most spectacular orbital debris events with scientific accuracy and mind-blowing visualization,” said Butts.
The IMAX film was directed by Butts and produced by Butts and Kim Rowe. Space Junk is distributed globally by K2 Communications.
Individual tickets for Space Junk and Space Junk 3D are on sale now and may be reserved and purchased up to two weeks in advance. Groups of 10 or more may reserve tickets now for any date during the film’s run.
The public may visit any Smithsonian Theaters box office, call toll-free (866) 868-7774 or visit www.si.edu/IMAX for information or to purchase tickets. The full-length version of Space Junk will be shown in the Airbus IMAX Theater at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. A special 23-minute version of Space Junk will be shown in 3-D in the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater at the National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall.
The Airbus IMAX Theater is located on the main floor of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at 14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway in Chantilly, Va. The theater’s 86-by-62-foot screen is the largest in northern Virginia.
The Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater is located on the main floor of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue in Washington, DC. The theater’s 74-by-49-foot screen is one of the largest on the East Coast.
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