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(PARIS) - ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø today debuted an innovative session at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Paris providing a virtual tour of ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø Station, the world’s first commercial space station.  Making use of ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø’s industrial and design and engineering models, ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø leaders used virtual reality technology to guide the audience through an interactive video of ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø’s in-production space station.

Outfitted with headsets and projecting their field of vision onto a large screen for the audience, ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø leaders Chief Technology Officer Matt Ondler, Executive Vice President of In-Space Manufacturing Christian Maender, and Chief Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, demonstrated design features of the company’s commercial space station. The first module of ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø station is currently planned for launch in the mid-2020’s to attach to the ISS.

In collaboration with her colleagues, the session was created by Dr. Mary Lynne Dittmar, Chief of Government and External Affairs, who welcomed the audience and worked with the team to answer questions. ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø’s industrial and VR designers Kelsey Kim and Corey Smith were on hand and highlighted ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍøs’ innovative methods of design and development.

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The exclusive special sneak peek included Ondler’s overview of the construction and development of ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø Station. Maender provided a tour of ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø's research and manufacturing module and previewed  the unique scientific and manufacturing capabilities of the commercial space station. Lopez-Alegria took the audience on a virtual spacewalk around ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø Station, explaining the various design elements and future experience for ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø astronauts, including a look out of ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø’s Earth observatory cupola, eight of the largest windows ever constructed for the space environment with breathtaking views of planet Earth.

The audience was then invited to participate in the session with questions and ideas.  Several audience members donned the ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø virtual reality headsets and toured the station for themselves, with their journey projected to all in attendance.

The step-by-step narration of ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø Station design and capabilities was an exclusive “out of this world experience for the IAC attendees.