There's a dramatic
view of Soyuz - it greets you as you arrive:-
|
.
|
|
Soyuz - longest serving manned
spacecraft in the World
|
Docking module - Living area
- Re-entry module -Service module
|
The exhibit is claimed to be the most complete example
of Soyuz on display in the West. This comment may relate to the larger
docking section than seen previously, and probably to the solar array as
well. Docking of Soyuz with the U.S. Apollo spacecraft in 1975 was one
of the most memorable memorable historic flights.
On arrival, your entrance ticket has a timed entry
to the Space Theatre, which is excellent, with Planetarium-style projection
onto a domed screen.
Other displays flesh out the background to Space
exploration. Two that we singled out are, left, below, one which highlights
the function of satellites for weather forecasting by inviting you to enter
a live studio and give a weather forecast (tip: watch others try it first,
then stand to the left as you see your Webmaster doing!) and, right, below,
gravity effects on living plants:-
In "Growing space food", grass is (a) whirled horizontally
- the roots respond by growing outwards; (b) the lower ball of grass spins,
(simulating in effect, zero gravity) and the roots grow in all directions.
Overcoming the effect that roots grow in the direction of what they think
is gravity, has to be achieved for a long space journey. Hopefully, Astronauts
bravely making for Mars will enjoy better fresh food than grass of course!
We thought that a display relating to Yuri Gagarin
should have noted that there is strong evidence that the first man in space
was actually Sergei Vladimir Ilyushin, son of the famous aircraft designer.
Unlike Gagarin in two respects; his flight was rough and therefore not
reported - Gagarin flew 5 days later - and at 72 he still flies, even,
apparently, as a test pilot. Ilyushin was regarded as a hot shot in the
mould of Chuck Yeager in his younger days.
Finally, outside you will see what appears to
be - couldn't see a description - a Space Shuttle pallet section.
Behind is the Abbey Pumping Station, now also a museum exhibit itself. |
 |
Tip: Easily accessible by car; short taxi ride from
rail station, no sign of bus service. Disabled access seems good to judge
by the number of wheelchair visitors. One I spoke to said she was enjoying
the Space Centre.
Please Click to Go:-
[Home][Intro][Menu]
