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Top 5 things to see at the Science Museum if you love space

Follow this space trail and go on a journey of exploration and discovery around the Science Museum.

Stop 1: Tim Peake’s Spacecraft

Soyuz TMA-19M descent module in the Exploring Space gallery.

The first stop on our space tour is the Exploring Space gallery. After a mind-boggling national tour, attracting 1.3 million visitors, Tim Peake’s Soyuz TMA-19M spacecraft is now on permanent display in our Exploring Space gallery.

It is the actual spacecraft that took astronauts Yuri Malenchenko, Tim Kopra, and Tim Peake up to the International Space Station in 2015 and then returned them safely to the Earth the following year. If you look closely you can see the scorch marks left from their re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere.

Stop 2: A (real) piece of the Moon

A piece of the Moon.

Next up in Exploring Space is a real piece of Moon rock cut from the ‘Great Scott’ rock that Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott picked up from the Moon’s surface in August 1971. He almost fell over when trying to pick it up and had to roll it up the leg of his spacesuit to get a good grip on it.

Stop 3: Apollo 10 command module

Apollo 10 command module.

If you head on to our Making the Modern World gallery you will find the Apollo 10 command module. In May 1969, this module launched astronauts Thomas Stafford, John Young, and Eugene Cernan, on a lunar orbital mission as a dress rehearsal for the Apollo 11 landing in July 1969.

Stop 4: An orrery made for the Earl of Orrery 

If you head up to Science City: The Linbury Gallery on the second floor you’ll come across another piece of history – the original orrery that was made for the Earl of Orrery by London instrument maker John Rowley in 1712.
This planetary model was originally a demonstration device used to show the motions of the Earth and Moon around the Sun. Models like this became popular during the seventeenth century especially after Sir Isaac Newton published his theory of gravity.
Orrery made for the Earl of Orrery.

Stop 5: Make a Mars rover in Engineer Your Future

If you head up to Engineer Your Future you will find our Rugged Rovers game. This game challenges you to design your very own Mars rover and pits you against your friends and family to see who can travel the furthest across the alien landscape full of jumps, boulders, and slopes. You can also download the Rugged Rovers app for free from the App Store or Google Play to play at home.

Where to eat

Finally stop off at the Energy Cafe for some well-deserved lunch – or treat yourself to one of our homemade cakes and an award-winning coffee.

Cupcakes at Energy Cafe

Try at home

Try one of our at-home learning resources to discover how materials behave in space and how atmospheric pressure is relevant to our everyday lives.

The Science Museum is open Wednesday–Sunday, 10.00–18.00 (last entry 17.15), and during school holidays we are open seven days a week.  Head to our website to pre-book your free tickets.

Free WiFi is available throughout the museum.