"TDC's Gemini Space Capsule Gets a Makeover..."

Andrew Filo and Janet Berry show off
the capsule's new instrument panel...

After years of taking children on imaginary trips through outer space, The Discovery Center's Gemini space capsule gets a much-needed makeover.

When Andrew Filo learned The Discovery Center had the Gemini on its grounds, he was excited to help restore a piece of history. "I saw on the Internet that the capsule was here, and that the Discovery Center was interested in restoring it," Filo said. A missing wing and broken switches were just a couple parts of the Gemini that Filo wanted to tackle in order to "bring it back to it's glory."

First on Filo's list was restoring the space capsule's control panel. "We used stainless steel on some parts, and had to re-cast and re-mount the switches," Filo explained. We even ordered aircraft-grade aluminum." (See photo of the new control panel above.)

For the next couple phases of the restoration, Filo plans on embedding a screen inside the capsule so children have something to watch while waiting. "I'd like to show a short movie inside the capsule," he said. A few clips he'd like to include are from the old Planet of the Apes movie and a James Bond film, where you spot glimpses and designs of a Gemini.

Fascinated by the Gemini's history, Filo was amazed by how advanced the technology was in the 1960's when the capsule was first built. "It was one of the earliest examples of a small computer controlling a vehicle, and it had a sensor that would allow it to land anywhere on Earth within a mile" he explained. "When I was a 10-year-old boy, this was a big deal."

The Discovery Center's Gemini Space Capsule...

Filo's ultimate goal for the Gemini space capsule is to inspire people, and most importantly, spark the imagination of local children. "Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon, and he came from a little farm in Wapakoneta, Ohio," Filo said. "Who knows? The first person to walk on Mars could be from Fresno!"

Janet Berry, Executive Director of The Discovery Center, was ecstatic and thankful to have Filo's help on this project. "I was so happy when he called," Berry said. "I actually thought he'd be disappointed by the condition it was in. But he understood that we gets kids excited about science through hands-on learning, and that the capsule is not just a museum piece."

In addition to the new control panel, Berry said the capsule is getting new signage and decals, with the help of local Boy Scouts. She's excited for TDC's little explorers to check out the space capsule. "He's made it possible for the next generation of kids to dream about going to space."