The Virginia Air & Space Center has launched an exciting new project SPACE BOUND.
This endeavor is a continuation of the excellence created by the opening of the world-class Adventures in Flight gallery in 2003. In the spirit of exploration, this unique program will inspire the next generation of explorers through a new half-a-million cubic foot Space Gallery, Digital Discovery Lab and new educational programs. Additionally this project will serve as a new way to attract tourists to the Hampton Roads area, improve the quality of life for citizens of our region, and give students, especially those less fortunate, the opportunity to improve, and excel in science, math, engineering and technology.

The new gallery will open in Spring 2007 to coincide with the 400th anniversary for the discovery of Jamestown. The Center also looks forward to participating in the Jamestown celebration to commemorate our past, present and future space explorers.

The total campaign is $10 million which will consist of public sector funding of $5.8 million, and private sector funding of $2.2 million. As NASA continues to explore all aspects of space, the Virginia Air
& Space Center must also continue to provide meaningful, educational and up-to-date programs that inspire and motivate students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

New interactive space exhibits and science, math and informal technology educational offerings will take the Virginia Air & Space Center to the next level. Within SPACE BOUND initiatives are plans for educational outreach and enhanced educational facilities at the Virginia Air & Space Center. Explore SPACE BOUND and you will find a visionary plan for the Hampton Roads area that far outpaces anything being considered throughout the region.

Since its opening, the Virginia Air & Space Center has served over four million visitors. This past year the Center experienced a record breaking 438,000 admissions, a seven percent increase compared to the previous year. The key elements to this growth have been the continued upgrading of exhibits, and the addition of interactive and state-of-the-art technologies. The Virginia Air & Space Center, the visitor center for NASA Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base, is the top attraction in Hampton, and the second most-visited science museum in Virginia. The SPACE BOUND initiative to fund major space exhibit upgrades and new educational offerings will elevate Virginia Air & Space Center’s stature as a world-class facility and prepare the Center for 2007 and beyond.

We hope you will join us, and the other members of the Campaign Development Committee to enhance the future, not only of the Center, but that of space exploration, and all of our futures.