‘A view’: Spectacular model preparing for landing in St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Mars is not the kind of place to raise your children… but St. Cloud, according to a scientist who grew up there.

Dr. Felicity-John Pederson, the founder of the LVX System, the researcher and co-producer of the Inspiration space shuttle model, told KARE 11 that waiting for the inspiration’s high goal, waiting for it is almost finished.

“It’s at the border of Wisconsin right now, and the fuselage; pretty much every other part is here,” Pederson said Wednesday.

You can also see “it” – the 25-ton fuselage, or main body of the ship – heading over the border into Minnesota sometime after midnight on Saturday. to pass the Twin Cities and cut to his new home in central Minnesota.

The incident, Pederson said, “should be a spectacle.”

The Inspiration replica orbiter, which has been housed at the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida for more than half a century, is taking a trip north before taking participants on an almost replica tour of the stations different in space.

“This quote, ‘journey,’ is something you might go down in the world, whatever it is,” Pederson said. “This will respond to the simulations, the dome and everything – like the big theaters that are inside these domes – to get the reality of what is happening.

“There will also be traffic monitoring stations on the bleachers, if you want, to see this thing because it looks like the spacecraft flying through space and landing.”

But there is still some work to be done before the ship goes on its first sales trip, including the complete restoration of the ship, and the development of new “houses” to use. The development, a group of up to five farms, will each present its own event as part of the new event of the “spaceport”.

Pederson said that with the complex, the scientific community hopes to show more progress and jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). And they plan to do it soon.

“I think, though, it’s going to be quick,” Pederson said. “I know that coming from our local representative Aric Putnam (DFL-St. Cloud), he said that everyone is very happy to do something quickly, and the governor wants to mix education, the This is also what NASA wants.”

According to Pederson, the sooner the “learning” takes place, the sooner ordinary people like you and me can realize the wonders of space exploration.

“I mean, you know, at my age, I’m 65 years old — I thought we were going to fly around the moon and everything in 2001,” Pederson said.

“We’re not very far, but you know, it’s pretty cool because it won’t be long before someone flies off to another planet. shows go into these domes.”

The next steps, according to Pederson, include outfitting the Inspiration and its cabin with enough technology; influencing partners to “also commit” to education; and work with local agencies – like Putnam – to choose a perfect, open place to put it all.

“At first we were going to do the Mall of America, but the plans failed due to the COVID and it was not repaired in the state so we could do it. We also talked to the Science Museum in St. Paul, but they don’t have enough land to do this,” said Pederson.

So, of all places, why St. Cloud? But where exactly, will the ship land?

“The Challenger Learning Center did a survey, and the person who started it told us that St. Cloud was one of the best options,” Pederson said. “And because I know St. Cloud – because I’m from here – I worked with the mayor and some others here, and in the end, it’s a good place, a nice and central place for people next to the. country to visit.”

According to Pederson, the plan is to build the complex off a highway from Interstate 94, so that it is easily accessible to the public.

In addition to educational purposes, the project will also be used to train space explorers, already attracting a long list of astronauts – and airlines – who are competing for the opportunity to “fly”.

“The idea is to have the airlines sell you a ticket to places they can’t take you,” Pederson said. “We’re talking to some airlines about that, and so far, they’re very happy. [but] You can do that based on everything that NASA has learned – all the photos and videos and movies that are used by the intelligence you go to and get there.

And according to Pederson, Bob Cabana, former astronaut, assistant administrator for NASA and the real son of Minnesota – now, unofficially, the first pilot in the line.

“He’s a very connected scout, and he’s also very connected in Minnesota, and he just said, ‘If you do it right, I want to be a part of this,'” the Pederson said. “He doesn’t want to embarrass Minnesota or himself or NASA, so, you know, do it right.”

Then again, you don’t have to be a NASA rocket scientist to recognize Minnesota’s new flight simulation.

“Some of them (pilots) said to me, ‘Put a jump seat in so I can bring one of my children, grandchildren, so I can show: This is what happened be there today,'” Pederson said. “There are four seats in the cockpit, then the other three of them are on the middle deck, so there are spaces for people to sit. This guy does it.

“In addition, we will set the seats in the cargo, and it should be a very overwhelming, very interesting, like a plane ride.”

And the next thing you know, Pederson said, the walls will light up with TV sets, transporting those lucky enough to find the show to a whole other place outside of this world.

“… Then the doors open, and you look at the rings of Saturn.”

Follow these links for more information about the LVX System and Dr. Felicity-John Pederson.

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