Mounted in the shuttle's aft flight deck, this power panel assembly provided a link between the crew cabin IMAX camera and the shuttle's power system. A cable attached to the camera from this unit supplied power to the camera during filming.
NASA flew the IMAX camera on twelve space shuttle missions in the 1980s and 1990s so astronauts could capture film footage for five IMAX productions. The first of these, The Dream Is Alive (1985), still ranks as the most popular of all IMAX feature films. Four of the films were co-sponsored by IMAX, NASA, the National Air and Space Museum, and Lockheed Martin. By carefully training the astronauts not only to operate the camera but also to act as cinematographers to capture both the thrilling and ordinary activities in orbit, IMAX produced films that virtually put the audience inside and outside the shuttle.
Gift of the IMAX Corporation in 2011.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
EQUIPMENT-Photographic
Manufacturer
Lockheed Martin
Dimensions
3-D: 8.6 × 21 × 19.1cm (3 3/8 × 8 1/4 × 7 1/2 in.)
Materials
Aluminum
Fabric Tape
Adhesive
Velcro
Paper
Steel
Coating
Inventory Number
A20130122000
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.