Academy Opens the Pod Bay Doors for 2001 Model

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has added a sizable new item to the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, successfully bidding for a rare visual effects model of the Aries 1B Trans-Lunar Space Shuttle in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

What makes it rare is that director Stanley Kubrick destroyed most of the props and sets from the film to prevent their use in any sequels. The Aries model survived because it had been given to an art teacher who was using it to teach about technology to his students. The Academy obtained the model for $344,000.

The new museum is slated to open in late 2017.

[via Deadline]