The Gantry at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has reopened with a bold new attraction that blends real-time spaceflight data, theatrical immersion, and advanced display technology anchored by LED Studio’s custom-engineered LED systems.
Once the primary public viewing platform for Space Shuttle launches at Launch Complex 39, The Gantry has been reimagined as a multi-zone experience celebrating both NASA’s legacy and the accelerating pace of commercial spaceflight. With more than 90 rocket launches now happening annually along Florida’s Space Coast, the attraction gives visitors a front-row view of the future of exploration.
This latest attraction builds on the success of the 2023 “Kennedy Entry Experience,” as reported by Sixteen:Nine. That attraction features a 30-ft-tall by 98-ft-wide (9.1 m tall by 29.9 m wide) ground-level LED board by SNA Displays at the central plaza of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which opened in October 2023. It was designed for anamorphic 3D illusions and live-streamed launch coverage.
To meet the site’s unique environmental challenges, such as corrosive salt air, tropical storms, and even vibrations from nearby launches, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex turned to LED Studio for display solutions built to withstand these conditions.
At the center of the plaza is an L-shaped LED gantry display synchronized with an AI-guided show sequence that culminates in a simulated rocket-engine test fire. A 24-by-14-foot (7.3 m by 4.3 m) Fortis Plus LED wall, mounted on steel pilings 25 feet (7.6 meters) into the ground, delivers live launch coverage from NASA, SpaceX, and others. Built from marine-grade materials, it functions as both a cinematic screen and a structural element, engineered to withstand hurricane-force winds.
Inside, the Earth Information Center’s curved 32-by-9-foot (9.8 m by 2.7 m) Hyperwall transforms satellite data from NASA and JPL into a visual story of Earth’s climate. The Rocket Lab gives guests a hands-on challenge to design and virtually launch their own rockets.
“Everything here has to be engineered beyond standard specifications,” said Richard Bahorich, Project Manager at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. “What LED Studio delivered exceeded expectations. The visual clarity, durability, and seamless integration have helped us fuse education and entertainment in a way that truly inspires the next generation of space explorers.”
It’s an attraction that proves, even in the age of AI and augmented reality, there’s still nothing quite like a big, bright LED wall — especially one that can withstand a rocket launch.