Inside Space Center Houston’s 500-seat Space Center Theater, the lights dim, and the audience is transported—immersed in The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks. Created in partnership with Lightroom and 59 Studio, The Moonwalkers puts viewers at the heart of the Apollo missions. A custom-built 215-foot wraparound screen, high-resolution projection, and cinematic surround sound bring the historic journey to life. Narrated by Tom Hanks, this 50-minute film offers a retelling of one of humanity’s greatest achievements in space exploration.
Bringing The Moonwalkers to life required the seamless integration of expertise, precision, and partnership. Quince Imaging, provider of projection mapping and immersive audio-visuals, was contracted directly by Space Center Houston as Lightroom’s preferred North American service partner. Their mission: to transform an existing large format theater into an immersive venue while maintaining its ability to host traditional screenings and live events.
The vision and the challenge
Jeff Wyatt, Chief Experience Officer at Space Center Houston, contacted Lightroom after seeing the original production in London. Following a series of meetings, Wyatt successfully negotiated to bring the film to Space Center Houston for the first premiere in the Americas. Quince was then tasked with designing and implementing a projection and audio system that could meet Lightroom’s demanding standards while integrating seamlessly into the space museum’s multi-use theater space.
“The contribution of Quince has been essential in making it happen in Houston, and I’m pleased with the outcome,” said James Roxburgh, Technical Director at Lightroom.
One of the most significant challenges was modernizing the former IMAX system to accommodate both the immersive The Moonwalkers film experience and Space Center Houston’s existing large-format screenings. Quince Imaging’s team had just four months to execute the transformation, tackling complex technical requirements and ensuring an intuitive system that could transition effortlessly between different use cases.
The technology behind the experience
At the heart of The Moonwalkers experience is a meticulously engineered projection system. Quince Imaging deployed a fleet of Panasonic PTRQ-35KU and PTRQ-25KU projectors, delivering 60-million-pixel resolution visuals. A custom-designed, 7-channel Scalable Automatic Calibration System ensured image alignment, while five Qlab Media Servers powered high-resolution playback, creating an immersive storytelling environment.
But visuals were only part of the equation. The soundscape was equally crucial, requiring the team to design an audio system capable of replicating a rocket launch’s deep, resonant vibrations. This challenge played to Quince Imaging’s strengths – especially lead engineer Keith Price, who had direct experience simulating rocket launch acoustics. His expertise was instrumental in designing a specialized subwoofer array using JBL VTX B28 speakers, delivering an earth-shaking low-frequency experience at 141dB from 20Hz to 80Hz.
To unify the entire system, Quince implemented a Q-SYS control platform, allowing seamless transitions between The Moonwalkers, cinematic presentations, and live events with minimal staff intervention. Integrating Blackmagic’s ATEM Constellation 8K added further flexibility, ensuring the theater remained a fully functional multi-purpose venue.
A collaborative effort
Quince Imaging collaborated with Generations AV to fabricate the custom screen structure, while Space Center Houston’s in-house engineering team provided crucial facility upgrades.
“Things are looking good, and initial reactions from our guests have been extremely positive, mentioned Wyatt.
