International Spaceflight Museum

The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Cape Canaveral is one of the largest in the world by volume. Now workers at the International Spaceflight Musuem, led by Chris Reitveld and Jimbo Perhaps, are constructing a full-scale replica on Spaceport Bravo.

This image shows the VAB on Spaceport Bravo, with the top of the ISM's Saturn V rocket and launch tower (on Spaceport Alpha) in the foreground.

Tonight we got some help from Hiro Pendragon, who designed a stage backdrop/concert shell for our presentation center inside the rocket ring. He designed and built it on the spot, while Troy and I watched and made a few choices of colors and textures. It turned out very well indeed! It is translucent, so while it helps cut down the visual distractions of the rockets behind the stage, they are not obscured. The colors (very subtle) blend nicely with the platform floor, and I love the way the transparency goes from about 50% at ground level to about 80% at the top, nearly fading away into the sky above. Thanks, Hiro!