Kennedy Space Center’s Gantry at LC-39 has reopened with a new guest experience powered by LED Studio visuals.
Once used as the main public viewing platform for viewing a space shuttle on the pad, The Gantry at LC-39 has been turned into a multi-zone attraction at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, meeting the needs of the more than 90 annual spaceflights at Kennedy Space Center per year.
The experience combines real-time mission data, theatrical immersion and a suite of audiovisual systems to create an environment that rethinks how digital media, storytelling, and live spaceflight coverage could coexist.
LED Studio was tasked with developing a series of custom-engineered LED display systems capable of performing in extreme conditions. With The Gantry’s outdoor and semi-enclosed spaces subject to corrosive salt air, high humidity, and frequent tropical storms, not to mention the seismic effects of rocket launches.
Each display element had to be designed not only for brightness, clarity, and visual performance, but for long-term durability in this difficult setting.
At the centre of the outdoor plaza is an L-shaped gantry display, built directly into the architecture of the space and synchronised with an AI-guided simulation. This theatrical sequence, ending with a full-scale rocket engine test fire, sits at the heart of the attraction.
A 7.3m x 4.26m Fortis Plus display is located at the ocean-front area of the new launch viewing stadium shows real-time launch coverage from NASA, SpaceX, ULA, and more. This display is constructed from marine-grade materials, mounted on steel pilings driven 7.62m into the ground, serving as both a cinematic screen and a structural element. This setup is designed to withstand hurricane-force winds and direct exposure to the elements.
The Earth Information Center’s Hyperwall includes a curved 9.76mx2.74m display that turns real-time satellite data from NASA and JPL into a continuous visual narrative.
Richard Bahorich, project manager, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex commented: “Finding the right technology to bring our immersive experiences to life is always a challenge, especially when we’re up against some of the harshest environmental conditions imaginable. Everything here has to be engineered beyond standard specifications, particularly the displays, which would quite literally dissolve if not built to exacting standards.
“What LED Studio delivered exceeded expectations. The visual clarity, durability and seamless integration across the experience have helped us fuse education and entertainment in a way that truly inspires the next generation of space explorers.”