THE MOONWALKERS:

A Journey with Tom Hanks

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Carolyn Donovan and Wan Chi Lau in Astronomy, RainyDayDestinations, RainyDayScience, Virtual Reality // 0 Comments

Space Geek

One of our editors, born in 1958, has been a huge “Space Geek” ever since he can remember (and probably before that). The first English word he learned was “oxygen,” because it was one of the components of rocket fuel!

He (along with his family) immigrated to the US in January of 1969, and six months later, a NASA astronaut stepped out of a space capsule and onto the surface of the Moon. His 10-year-old head almost exploded with excitement, and he still remembers the feelings of awe, excitement, and marvel, all wrapped up in that single “small step” for us all.

He followed every Apollo mission on the family’s 10-inch black and white TV. He built models of both the Saturn 5 rocket and the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM). And also—because it is the way of (his) things—he still has one of every Space-related stamp ever issued by the USPS (Mercury, Apollo 8, Moon Landing, Lunar Rover).

When it was his turn to pick the destination that his family would go to for their Summer vacation that year, they all knew, without even asking, that they would be going to Cape Canaveral 🙂

BTW, Buzz Aldrin had the best, and completely appropriate, response to a “Moon-landing denier.” Yes, some people deserve a punch in the face for being willfully ignorant 🙂

Moonwalkers

When said former 10-year old boy was offered—some six decades later—the opportunity to attend the preview of MOONWALKERS: A Journey with Tom Hanks, that 10-year-old boy reemerged in full!

At long last, his dream of being on the surface of the Moon was going to be realized, even if it is just ‘virtually realized’ 🙂

The Moon Child

Another member of the Rainy Day team also took part in the MOONWALKERS experience, but without all the childhood geekiness of her colleague. Still, she has a story to tell:

She was seven when the Apollo crew made their epic journey, and clearly remembers Dad taking her and her nine-year-old sister out to the back steps, pointing up to the Moon, and saying, “That’s where they are.” It’s possible that Dad was actually crying – something that a World War 2/Korean Conflict/active Boston firefighter would never do on purpose – so even if the seven-year old didn’t quite get the awe of the moment, she knew it was a big deal, especially since our neighbors were on their back stairs as well, looking at the moon.

The seven-year old is many, many (many) years older now, but she remembers that event very clearly. What she never quite understood, though, is why “it” didn’t make as big an impact on her as it did the others.

Watching THE MOONWalkers helped her understand why (sort of): being born in July, she’s a Moon Child. Basically, she’s been there her whole life! Kinda felt like a coming home…

Go to this fabulous, immersive, event and space. Honestly, your and everyone you came with’s sock will be blown off (figuratively speaking).

The Hall

We recommend arriving early at Saunders Castle—where MOONWALKERS: A Journey with Tom Hanks, is being shown in Boston—and spending at least 30 minutes taking in everything at the exhibit hall. We read every photo caption, listened to all the audio clips, and watched some of the behind-the-scenes snippets of the creation of Moonwalkers. All of it was fascinating, and because of them, we had a much richer experience in the end when seeing the production.

The giant images are fabulous in so many ways; some of them are iconic, but many have never been shown in public before! The clarity and details of the photos are just stunning.

NASA’s upcoming Artemis mission also got a shout-out in the exhibit. Artemis is the sister of Apollo (for real, ancient myth-ally speaking), and is NASA’s follow-up to the Apollo program 50 years later. The goal is to establish a permanent presence on the Moon and to use the base as a launching pad for Mars. OMG!!!

The Experience

Lightroom is a joint venture between 59 Studio and London Theatre Company. They work with artists, musicians, filmmakers, fashion designers, scientists, and others to reimagine and bring to life immersive experiences that cannot be found elsewhere.

Lightroom’s flagship venue is in London, just a 10-minute walk from Kings Cross Station. The traveling version of the show in Boston is at The Saunders Castle at Park Plaza (130 Columbus Ave, Boston, MA).

Key technologies used in Moonwalkers include:

Projection Mapping: Powerful projectors, such as Panasonic PT-RQ35KU and PT-RQ25KU, project high-resolution visuals onto a massive, custom-built wraparound screen, creating a stunning 60-million-pixel projection canvas.
Immersive Audio: Industry-leading sound systems, including the HOLOPLOT X1 system, employ 3D Audio Beamforming technology to create a soundscape that completely envelops the audience. Specialized subwoofer arrays deliver earth-shaking low-frequency effects that replicate the vibrations of a rocket launch.
High-Resolution Media Server Systems: Qlab Media Servers are used to power high-resolution playback, ensuring seamless and captivating visuals.
Show Control Programming: A sophisticated Q-SYS control platform is implemented to manage the transitions between the immersive Moonwalkers experience and other theater functions.
4K Production Workflows: The experience is built upon 4K production workflows, ensuring sharp and detailed visuals.

Lightroom’s CEO, Richard Slaney, was on hand to welcome us to the premiere of the Experience, to share his excitement, and to give us some tips on how to take it all in.

“Our mission is to push the boundaries of storytelling—partnering with the world’s most visionary creatives to craft groundbreaking experiences for everyone,” says Lightroom’s CEO and Producer of The Moonwalkers, Richard Slaney.

Planning the Trip

Those of us old enough to remember the Apollo times have our own images in our minds about those days. The flood of visuals reminded us of the enormity of the effort and the tremendous contributions from all who worked on the program…and that a successful outcome was anything but certain.

Now THAT’s going “All In,” not by depending on luck, but with math, science, and an incredible amount of hard work!

Leaving Earth

We may not have a chance to see Earth from any of the current space vessels catering to the ultrarich, but the Moonwalkers Experience enabled us to see Earth from Space in a very similar way. The difference is that we were able to go out for cocktails afterwards!

Seeing the Moon the way the Apollo astronauts saw the Moon on their approach was just as mind-blowing. We had never seen the Moon as clearly and in as much detail as that before. The feeling of awe is hard to describe.

On the Moon

Once on the Moon, looking back at Earth was just as spectacular. We all have seen the Moon on a clear night and marveled at its beauty. Seeing the Earth from the surface of the Moon? It looked like a jewel in the sky. If everyone could see our planet from this perspective, maybe we would all take better care of it.

One statement in the program stood out about how things are on the Moon compared to how things are on Earth…”Every rock on the surface of Earth has moved in the last 1000 years. Every rock on the Moon is EXACTLY where it has been since it got to the Moon’s surface. Some haven’t moved for 3.5 billion years! There isn’t a place on Earth like the Moon.”

FinalThoughts

Tom Hanks narrated this immersive cinematic experience, offering his perspective on the Apollo missions and making the case for the return to the Moon. Hanks is also the executive producer with co-writer Christopher Riley, a double BAFTA-nominated writer-director. They are incredible storytellers and kept us transfixed the entire time.

“As a kid, I was deeply affected by the Apollo missions and the dedication and commitment of the human beings who made each journey,” says Hanks. “Through the extraordinary and unique production capabilities of Lightroom, the audience can see these incredible moments in a new and enthralling perspective.”