SpaceX haS landed at dubai eXpo
US Ambassador John Rakolta is pictured with a replica of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at the unveiling of his country’s pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020 site on Wednesday. The 14-storey, one-toone scale replica of the SpaceX rocket is the tallest feature on the Expo grounds, which will open its doors in October 2021.
dubai — The US showed off a starstudded pavilion on Wednesday for Dubai’s upcoming Expo 2020, complete with a replica SpaceX rocket body beside it. Two fog machines swirled smoke around the replica, trying to lend the impression it just landed at the Expo site in Dubai.
The global event, which was to begin in October this year, was delayed by a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This extra time came in handy for countries participating in the event, particularly the US. Its pavilion’s exterior appeared finished Wednesday, but the interior remained a worksite.
US diplomats took selfies and group photos as the final metallic star was installed on the silver building, while others rushed to watch fog encircling the white SpaceX rocket.
John Rakolta, the US Ambassador to the UAE, praised the Emirati government for its donation in completing the pavilion, without offering a figure for the final cost. “The Emiratis have been very generous, they provided the opportunity for us to participate... and we are very grateful,” said Rakolta, donning a black mask with the official logo of the UAE printed on it.
“They’ve encouraged us to reach for the stars.”
The 3,344 square-metre (36,000 square-foot) pavilion will include a ‘24-minute experience’ of America with moon rocks, a Mars rover and Thomas Jefferson’s Quran, Rakolta said.
Rakolta said the American pavilion’s construction had so far avoided seeing a worker contract the coronavirus.
American values
The pavilion will “showcase our values”, the diplomat said. The theme of the silver building draped in stars is “life, liberty and pursuit of the future”, he said.
Once opened, visitors will be taken on a tour via a moving walkway that meanders through the building. The pavilion website said the US delegation aims to exhibit “American freedom, ideals, enterprise and innovation”.