Tom Sachs’ Space Program: Mars

Mars has come to Manhattan! Yes, you read that correctly–Manhattan is currently home to a four-week mission to Mars led by the Tom Sachs Space Program.

Using everyday materials such as plywood, duct tape, and screws, Sachs and his NASA crew transformed the Park Avenue Armory into his own idea of the Red Planet. In the center of the Armory is the Landing Excursion Model (LEM), a full-scale version of the Apollo LEM, the spacecraft designed to transport a crew of two astronauts to the surface of the moon and back. The interactive exhibition displays Sachs’ vision of a new type of space travel: one in which astronauts have access to the same amenities we enjoy here on earth, such as fully stocked bars, libraries, and a food delivery system.

Not just anyone can peek inside the LEM, however; you must first become a member. To obtain member status, you are required to watch five short films: How to Sweep, Love Letters to Plywood, Colors, Ten Bullets and Space Camp. Upon completion of viewing the films, you are then ready to take the test. The test is taken at what Sachs has named the “indoctrination station” and involves sorting screws and sweeping the floor–if you pass all required tests, you earn the right to enter the LEM.

If you want to visit, time is running out–the Space Program is only open until Sunday, June 17th at the Park Avenue Armory.