— A museum known as the "gateway to space heritage" located on Florida's Space Coast now has a new "force-full" look.

The Sands Space History Center, which is outside the gate to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, reopened on Tuesday (June 17), after six weeks of renovations. A ribbon-cutting welcomed the public back inside the extension of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.

"3, 2, 1..." chanted the ceremony attendees, signaling museum director James Draper and Ray Sands, the son of the center's namesake and chairman of the U.S. Space Force Historical Foundation to use an over-sized pair of scissors to cut a red ribbon as confetti cannons went off with a "pop." Members of the Melbourne Regional Chamber joined the museum officials for the celebratory event.

"Today we officially re-opened the doors of the Sands Space History Center, a museum dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich heritage of the United States Space Force, our installation and its mission," read a social media post by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. "From archival photos to historic uniforms and mission milestones, this center offers a glimpse into the legacy that continues to shape our future."

"Thank you to those who joined us for this special moment, and to those who laid the foundation for the stories now on display," the post read.

Founded as the Air Force Space and Missile History Center in August 2010, the Sands Space History Center (renamed in 2016 for Maj. Gen. Harry "Bud" Sands Jr., whose idea it was to put a space museum at the Cape) provides an easily accessed hall where the public can view exhibits on the space launch complexes that line "Missile Row" along the coast.

One of the new exhibits premiering with the center's reopening is dedicated the 75th anniversary of Bumper 8, the first rocket launch from what is now known as Cape Canaveral on July 24, 1950.

"The display, curated by museum volunteer Roger McCormick, tells the Bumper 8 story through original artifacts, documents, scale models, images and video," wrote Draper in response to an email from collectSPACE. "The exhibit even includes some artifacts uncovered from recent archaeological excavations at the Bumper blockhouse."

Another new addition is a display featuring Gen. Jay Raymond's OCP (operational camouflage pattern) uniform.

"Gen. Raymond served as the first Chief of Space Operations of the U.S. Space Force and recently donated his uniform to the museum. It's already been a huge hit," wrote Draper.

A majority of the artifacts, memorabilia and wall displays are the same from before the building was closed in April. The renovations primarily focused on modernizing the appearance of the center, including repainting the exterior and interior walls, reconfiguring the lobby and gift shop areas and adding amenities such as a water bottle refilling station.

"The exterior treatment is meant to make the facility more visible to approaching visitors," said Draper. "Visitors will [also] find new lighting, bathroom fixtures, ceiling tiles and other surface treatments. Smaller touches like pressure-washed sidewalks, new door mats, artwork in the restrooms, consistent paint schemes and more can be found throughout."

Formerly a largely-white building, the center has now been painted dark blue, both inside and out, to match the primary hue of the U.S. Space Force. The branch's insignia now hangs over the facility's entrance and a large-letter sign identifies the building as the "Sands Space History Center."

"Many of the colors match the style guide for Space Force logos and insignia. Incorporating these colors helps connect the Space Force with this long lineage of launch from Cape Canaveral. Today's Space Force Guardians are writing the next chapter in this rich historical narrative," Draper told collectSPACE.

The improvements to the museum lead off a new effort to revitalize, reimagine and expand the offerings by the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum.

The "Legacy of Launch" campaign aims to raise $5 million to add new STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) exhibits to the Sands Space History Center; restart VIP tours of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, including Hangar C and Mercury and Apollo launch complexes; and reopen Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral as a new museum and education center.

"The work never ends," said Draper. "We will keep improving artifact preservation and storytelling at Sands. We are eager to share the addition of a Space Force-themed exhibit element arriving in July."

The newly-renovated Sands Space History Center is free and open to the public Tuesday through Sunday. Access to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum (formerly known as the Air Force Space & Missile Museum) must be arranged in advance.