The Science Museum takes you on a space mission with the movie “Up to space”

Sarah Garcia, named reserve astronaut by the European Space Agency, said: “This exhibition will awaken the desire in many to become female astronauts.”

Valencia, May 16. (European Press) –

You can walk on the moon, experience a rocket launch and move around the International Space Station. The Science Museum of Valencia is preparing you to be an astronaut for a day in “Up to Space”, the new interactive exhibition that can be viewed until next January.

The exhibition is produced by the Universum Museum – Bremen Science Center -; The Air and Space Museum of Paris and the Obra Social Foundation “La Caixa” in collaboration with Avanqua and the European Space Agency (ESA) reveal, through interactive modules, virtual reality animations and original objects, what space training is like: journeys through the universe and discover what life in space, food or… Sleep from a scientific perspective.

Biotechnologist Sara García, the first Spanish woman to be appointed a reserve astronaut by the European Space Agency, toured the exhibit presented on Thursday, stressing that it will “without a doubt” “awaken in many the desire to become female astronauts.” . Especially after he was able to experience reduced gravity by walking on the moon. But he also emphasizes “be it engineers, physicists, or mathematicians, because there is a lot of science involved here in this exhibition that is very well explained.”

“It’s a very complete and very educational exhibition, through which you get a very global idea of ​​what an astronaut’s life is like, from how he prepares to be selected by a space agency like ESA – with the knowledge and the effort – what the training is like, what kind of tasks have to be done. You have to do it, what the International Space Station looks like, future missions to the Moon, and what impact all this type of research has on Earth and highlights that it is very accurate and recommended.

The tour begins with some tests to prepare the audience for space travel, both physical – effort and balance and passing through the rotor tube to see if you are qualified for space travel – but also cognitive, mathematics, logic and coordination to determine if you can navigate the “Tower of Babel”, explained curator Javier Hidalgo. Which represents the international terminal.

García comments in this regard that this part of the selection process reminded her of the tests she had to face to be selected, while the training part is also “completely faithful” to reality according to the 2009 astronauts, who are reflected throughout the exhibition in multiple photographs, and more recently of his partner. Pablo Alvarez.

The images show how astronauts prepare for any emergency that may arise in space, from what to do in the event of a fire, basic medical knowledge, or how to handle tools in weightlessness.

Once you pass the tests, you will be able to walk on the moon and feel weightless thanks to the belt that adapts to your weight, and in this unique prototype, with virtual reality glasses to “trick” the brain, try driving a car or communicating with the Earth. You can also try launching the rocket for eight minutes.

The smell of space

Real astronaut suits or the cryogenic clothing they wear underneath to prevent overheating are also on display; Meteorites or tardigrades, “water bears” living in extreme conditions that “we accidentally sent to the moon,” says the commissioner, or knowing the smell of space and the moon, and burning coal.

The exhibition also reveals the impact of space research on our daily lives, such as potato chips falling into the bag following the same principle as spaceships when they land so that they do not end up in crumbs; Sensors used in smartphones, created by NASA to save space and reduce weight during spaceflights; Or the best UV filters for sunglasses we use.

The tour ends with a return to Earth, which lasts less than four hours. It does not take astronauts long to pack because they can only carry 1.5 kilos of personal luggage.

The presentation was attended by CACSA Chairman of the Board of Directors, Santiago Lumbreras, and Cities Arts Director General, Ana Ortels, together with ESA Head of Communications Sandra Benítez and Head of Publishing Content. From the agency, María Menéndez, who highlighted that she has been cooperating with CACSA for more than 24 years, and in this regard pointed out the importance of working with scientific centers to bring the agency’s “remarkable” projects to the public.

European Space Agency conference

In the afternoon, ESA’s Head of Education and Communications, Sandra Benitez, gave a lecture entitled “ESA: Exploring the Universe to take better care of our planet”. The event, with free admission until capacity is reached, will take place at 7:00pm in the Santiago Grisolia Hall of the Musée les Cièency.

In his lecture, he will present the most important results achieved by ESA’s scientific missions in the field of space astronomy, which not only expand understanding of the universe, but also contribute to protecting the environment, enhancing international cooperation, stimulating economic progress and enriching the world. Quality of life on our planet.

It will also provide a glimpse into future missions that will enable a deeper understanding of the origins of the universe and the possibility of discovering habitable worlds beyond our solar system.