The Final Frontier
Some 50 years ago, Montrealer William Shatner – as Captain James T. Kirk aboard the starship Enterprise in the iconic TV series Star Trek – famously said that space is the ‘final frontier.”
Today, Space Explorers: THE INFINITE, the groundbreaking virtual reality experience that captivated Montréalers in 2021 before dazzling 250,000 visitors in Houston, Seattle and San Francisco, returns to Shatner’s hometown of Montréal with mesmerizing new content at a brand-new location in the Old Port of Montreal, right next door to the Montréal Science Centre.
The voyage
Based on the Primetime Emmy Award-winning series Space Explorers: The ISS Experience, the world’s biggest media project ever filmed in space created and produced by Montréal visionaries Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphäel of Felix & Paul Studios, with PHI Studio and in collaboration with TIME Studios and NASA, Space Explorers: THE INFINITE is a full-body immersive journey that recreates the expedition of an astronaut.
Wearing VR headsets, visitors experience life on the ISS as if you are really there, thanks to free-roaming virtual reality which gives visitors amazing access to personal moments filmed in cinematic 3D, 360° format by the eight astronauts who live on board.
The Infinite pushes the limits of free-roaming virtual reality technology as visitors freely explore a life-sized reproduction of the ISS. By navigating the interactive content, you can shape your personal journey along the way. It is exciting and very easy to do, even for those experiencing virtual reality technology for the first time.
My favourite moments were exploring the corridors of the ISS, filled with endless cables and wires. In another riveting VR scene, visitors feel like they are sitting at the same table for dinner with the astronauts aboard the ISS, a scene that dramatically humanizes what could otherwise feel like an alien experience. Also deeply affecting is watching Earth from the windows of the ISS, and reflecting on the sustainability of life on our precious planet.
What’s new?
This year, the immersive journey to space is made more extraordinary and memorable as visitors can also explore outside the ISS. With brand-new footage, one can now experience the first-ever spacewalk filmed in 3D and 360-degree virtual reality.
This new content also offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience the incredible Overview Effect – seeing Earth from a perspective only a handful of astronauts have ever had the chance to witness.
In addition, visitors can watch the Artemis I liftoff, the first step in a new chapter of lunar exploration, presented on an immersive wall of five giant screens.
Topping it all off, there is a free wandering tour where visitors can check out capsules filmed in virtual reality outside the ISS, directly immersing themselves in the life of astronauts in orbit as if they were there by their sides.
Box office and practical info
The Infinite welcomes families with children aged 8 and over. Children under the age of 8 are not admitted.
For those who wear eye glasses. the use of contact lenses is preferable to enjoy an optimal experience. Otherwise, the VR device will be placed over your eyes.
According to official documentation from Oculus, if you need to wear eye glasses, it is recommended that glasses are 142mm or less wide and 50mm or less high. Anything larger will most likely have trouble fitting in the Quest 2 headset.
Check out their website to know the dates.
