From Atomic Labs to Launch Pads
The Cincinnati Observatory's 2025-26 exhibit celebrates Ohio's legacy in space exploration. It highlights Ohio's vital role during the dawn of the space age, as well as its legacy in rocketry, innovation and discovery. An interactive portion of the exhibit challenges children to design their own space vehicles using Lego.
The exhibit is part of Ohio's Air & Space Trail, and was planned in accordance with the Ohio 250 Commission for the celebration of the U.S. Semiquincentennial in 2026.
Inspiration
The graphic style of the exhibit was inspired by poster art from the atomic age and the space race, an optimistic and forward-looking period when humans dreamed of traveling among the stars and competed to see who could get there first. Custom illustrations of vehicles, astronauts and more give the exhibit a unique look and personality.
Enduring Power
One of the important achievments highlighted by the exhibit is the development of the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG), developed at the Mound Laboratory near Dayton, Ohio. The RTG is a power source that uses thermocouples to directly convert the heat from radioactive decay into electricity, providing decades of reliable energy where solar cells won't work. The Voyager spacecraft, launched in 1977 and still sending back information from beyond our solar system to this day, are powered by RTGs.
Timeline
The exhibit spans 4 bookcases, along the bottom of which flows a timeline of space exploration from 1921 to the present. A rocket's path visually ties the segments together, weaving between important events in history.
