Beginning Saturday, the public will finally be able to visit Space Shuttle Atlantis at its new permanent home, a 900,000 square-foot facility that's part of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida. It's been two years since the shuttle last touched down and entered retirement on July 21st, 2011, with Atlantis now set to headline a $100 million exhibit that chronicles NASA's legendary 30-year space shuttle program. In an effort to create a more immersive experience for paying visitors, the shuttle will be propped up in a unique position that simulates the perspective astronauts would take in during space walks and other missions. A "hi-fi" recreation of the Hubble Space Telescope and dozens of interactive experiences round out the big attraction, admission to which is included in the Visitor Complex's $50 ticket fee. .
Many of the astronauts that flew on Atlantis will be on hand for Saturday's grand opening — the latest example of NASA's prized space vehicles making the transition into tourist attractions. We took at look at Space Shuttle Enterprise aboard the USS Intrepid last year. That exhibit is finally set to reopen in two weeks after sustaining damage from Hurricane Sandy.