U.S. Space & Rocket Center unveils Blue Origin Mannequin Skywalker exhibit

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October 30, 2021

(U.S. Space & Rocket Center/Contributed)

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center on Friday unveiled a new exhibit in partnership with Blue Origin.

Students from the Ardmore Boys & Girls Club were present for the unveiling of Mannequin Skywalker, the Anthropomorphic Test Device on test flight NS7. This trial flight made possible future New Shepard missions, including the recent flights of Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and William Shatner of Star Trek fame.

Mannequin flew “his” first flight in December 2017, and again in January 2021, this time wearing Space Camp wings on his flight suit. Mannequin contains sensors that mimic human weight, form, center of gravity and a range of joint motion. Once collected, this data helped Blue Origin engineers evaluate the safety and comfort for New Shepard flights for humans.

Mannequin and his flown seat are part of new and growing exhibits dedicated to new accomplishments in space exploration. Club for the Future, Blue Origin’s nonprofit, recently made a $1 million donation to support Space Camp programs.

Mannequin Skywalker is no dummy. He’s a test device who has flown to space three times to ensure the safety and comfort of @blueorigin New Shepard passengers like @JeffBezos and @WilliamShatner. Come see him on display at @RocketCenterUSA. pic.twitter.com/EV3zXSG2jS

— Space & Rocket Ctr (@RocketCenterUSA) October 30, 2021

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