Where is the National Space Centre

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Asks mollyprixe

A. The new National Space Centre is in Leicester. It is located just off the A6 (north of Leicester) and can be reached from junctions 21A and 22 of the M1 motorway.

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Q. When did it open

A. It first opened to the public on 30th June, 2001.

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Q. What is it

A. It is a space-related theme park.

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Q. How much did it cost to build

A. It reportedly cost �52 million and Nicholas Grimshaw�- who also created London's impressive Eurostar terminal, designed it.

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Q. What are its main features

A. It is unfair to simply call the National Space Centre a theme park - it does have some fantastic exhibits to explore - but it is also dedicated to space science and astronomy and is very educational and fun to visit.

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It has five themed galleries, lots of interactive hands-on activities to try out and some pretty impressive audio visuals. Its exhibits are also very unique and fun to visit, because a lot of imagination and humour has gone into creating them e.g. the Mars Exhibit is viewed from a house destroyed by Martian war machines and the Venus Exhibit includes a washed up and bashed up model of the Venera space craft (the first probe to land on the planet that was disastrously flattened by atmospheric pressure).

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The National Space Centre (NSC) also has a huge Rocket Tower (140ft high), a mock-up of the US Mercury capsule, a planetarium, a Challenger classroom where you learn all about space missions and lots of space memorabilia - including moon rock and bits of debris from various space missions and space craft.

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Q. Are school parties welcome

A. They are positively encouraged as the site is so educational. School parties are invited to learn about science, maths and technology in practical ways e.g. they learn about satellites by reading the weather in 2050; learn about the effects of space travel on your body by going on a shuttle launch; and about the properties of the planets by placing them in a bath-tub.

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The NSC offers a range of educational programmes specially written to link directly to the relevant parts of the National Curriculum. Whenever a visit to the Space Centre is booked for a school party, it will be provided with activities for the classroom to complement each visit, as well as trails for use in the exhibition when you get there. The NSC also has three classrooms dedicated to special workshops.

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Q. What other educational facilities does the NSC offer

A. Its website (http://www.spacecentre.co.uk) has been designed to complement every visit - and is designed to provided as much educational material as possible, and isn't just full of fancy graphics. It has a fantastic Space Now Online section that tells you what is going on in space now�- with the latest headlines and background information on space-related news stories. Its Mission Timeline provides details of future space missions, launch dates etc.

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The NSC also houses a specialist Space Science Research Unit (SSRU), a new facility including a satellite control suite, offices and clean room space. The SSRU is managed by the University of Leicester, which, having an international reputation for space science research, will bring projects of international significance to Leicester on an ongoing basis. The SSRU links directly to the university's Space Research Centre, part of its Department of Physics and Astronomy which has strong links with ESA, NASA, NASDA and the Russian Space Agency. Visitors to the attraction will be able to gain direct access to these programmes through the Space Now gallery, and will be able to watch scientists at work through the gallery's viewing windows.

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Q. What other facilities does it have

A. It has an area for packed lunches, two restaurants and the Cargo Bay Space Centre Shop full of space souvenirs. The centre is also available for corporate or private hire.

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Q. How would I contact the NSC

A. By telephone call the NSC Hotline: 0870 60 77223 (0870 60 SPACE) or via email at: [email protected]

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Q. How much does it cost to visit

A. Adults �7.50, Children �5.50 (aged 5-14), Family tickets (2 adults, 2 children) �22. Discounted rates for school parties are available on request from the NSC - teachers are also welcome to a special preview visit prior to any school booking.

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By Karen Anderson