Everything about space travel is so interesting, you’ll agree. Since we all can’t go to space, we enjoy hearing about astronauts’ discoveries and experiences. Well, space museums allow us to see all these things in 3D. Many space museums worldwide offer unforgettable experiences– and that’s what this article is all about. Let’s get into it.
Space Expo: Noordwijk, Netherlands
This museum is the visitor center of the European Space Technology and Research Center (ESTEC). Visitors get to learn about black holes, life in the International Space Station (ISS), gravity, and satellites.
You could check out the Soyuz capsule, which was credited with bringing the Dutch astronaut André Kuipers back to Earth. You would also enjoy the solar cells of the Hubble space telescope. The experience is one-of-a-kind.
Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics: Moscow, Russia
Although originally focused on the Soviet space program, the museum now includes sections dedicated to global space programs. The museum allows visitors to explore the history of astronomy, space tech, space in the arts, flight, and space exploration.
You can check out stuffed space dogs, the first spacesuits, and Moon exploratory spacecraft. The museum has a wide collection of 98,000 items, which includes 35,000 rare ones. You’ll also gain knowledge about the first astronauts.
Cité de l’espace: Toulouse, France
This museum isn’t just about viewing exhibits; it allows visitors to interact with them. Equipped with a 360m² hemispherical screen, the interactive planetarium will teach visitors how to predict the weather.
You could explore the observatory, planetarium, and the moon-running simulator (if you’d like to check your space travel tolerance). An exhibit, Moon: Episode II, was built to celebrate the 50 years of Apollo 11. You could also explore it for the full package.
National Space Centre: Leicester, UK
In collaboration with the University of Leicester, this center allows visitors to explore astronomy, cosmology, and space science. The semi-transparent tower houses some of the largest artifacts, like Thor-Able Rockets.
You could enter the Weather Pod and explore a mock-up of the Columbus Module for an unforgettable experience. The museum’s galleries include Tranquility Base, Space Oddities, Orbiting Earth, The Planetarium, The Solar System, Into Space, and The Universe.
Technik Museum Speyer: Speyer, Germany
In partnership with Space Consult, this museum has a Space Flight Collection, which is probably the largest space exhibition in Europe. Visitors can explore fire engines, vintage cars, and aviation at the museum.
The museum houses a real-size model of the research module, Columbus. The Russian space shuttle BURAN, with 80 tons of weight and 16m height, is one of the main attractions at the museum.
