“We’re transforming Space Place to communicate all the science behind getting back to the Moon,” says the scientist…but not before the editor takes a turn
If you’re a fan of Science North’s gyroscope, you won’t have time to do one last spin.
The Sudbury Science Center announced earlier this month that it would retire the Gyroscope, a multi-axis training experiment located in Space Place on the building’s fourth floor.
Space Place renovations will begin in January. 8 during Science North’s annual maintenance shutdown. The last day to try the gyros will be January 11th. 7. In the new year, visitors are invited to see what Science North has done at Space Place.
Given the gyro’s impending closure, Sudbury.com editor Mark Gentile took the opportunity to ride the machine for the first time, to hilarious results. Check out our video above.
Science North’s Space Place is getting an update thanks to support from Canadian Space Agency. Canada is part of Artemis programa robotic and human lunar exploration project that will see humans return to the moon.
Based on this exploration, Science North is developing “new out-of-this-world exhibits and experiences.”
As part of the Space Place renovation, Science North is removing the gyroscope and decommissioning it.
“We’re about to embark on some really exciting missions, so we’re transforming Space Place to connect all the science related to returning to the Moon,” said Amy Henson, senior science center operations scientist.
“The unfortunate part is that our gyro doesn’t quite fit into all that science in those letters. So it’s time to say goodbye. But we’ve got some really exciting things in the pipeline, and we can’t wait to show you what we’ve got in the new year.”
The goals of Science North’s exhibits are to provide experiences that are creative, fun, accessible and inclusive and reflective of current science, a social media post from the science center said earlier this month.
But Gyro isn’t completely inclusive of all visitors, as it has height and weight restrictions — you must be between 5-0 and 6-2, and weigh 225 pounds or less.
Henson didn’t reveal what exactly will replace the gyro, but he said it will be “a big, full-body experience that everyone will be able to interact with.”
“So no matter what size or shape you are or wherever you are, whether you’re young or old, you’ll be able to participate in this. We’ve increased the amount of inclusivity that this new show can offer us, and unfortunately the gyro has become a little more restrictive.”
Science North originally had a gyroscope in the 1980s and 1990s, then didn’t have one for a while. The current gyro has been in the Science Center for about a decade.
Gyroscopes have been used to train astronauts for space exploration in the past, said Lucy Robillard, science communicator at Science North.
“It was very popular in the ’80s for sure,” she said. “There were some things that had a motor on them. So it would spin on you and you would have to try to stop it, and some even had buttons that you could try to stop. So, if you lost control of the space, you could try to figure out how to reset yourself. But since then, They’re not very popular anymore. They’re more of a new riding type thing.
For more information about Science North’s holiday hours, visit Scientific Center website.
