British astronaut Tim Peake previewed the centre’s new Outer Solar System Experience and met with schoolchildren to recreate experiments from his time in space, highlighting how interactive learning environments can inspire future careers in the space sector.
Tim recreated and discussed some of the experiments he carried out aboard the International Space Station. In fact, the visit to the centre in Leicester marked a decade since his famous space mission. Tim was the first British person to perform a space walk, fixing the power supply during his six-months in space.
He praised the space mission for enabling him to engage with more than two million children across Europe by running outreach programmes, workshops and more.
During his visit, Tim also had a preview of the space centre’s immersive Outer Solar System Experience, which opens on 30th June. Schools will be able to visit the new experience alongside the updated Our Solar System Gallery.
Tim said: “The National Space Centre is hugely important and a place where creative people can get the message across about how we got where we are with space travel, how big the universe is and where we go from here. I would have loved to come to somewhere like the National Space Centre when I was a kid and enjoy the interactive experiences they offer.
“The power of places like this help us to make a connection between what children learn in the classroom and how they can get involved in space as a career. It’s a motivating factor to push people like me to go on and be successful in the space sector.”
About the Outer Solar System Experience
It is described as an immersive space where visitors can step beyond the asteroid belt and explore distant worlds without ever leaving the centre.
It will allow pupils to interact with some of the most fascinating phenomena in our cosmic neighbourhood — from encountering a comet to creating their own extremophile lifeform, opening up the mysteries of the outer planets in a dynamic and unforgettable way.
“The power of places like this help us to make a connection between what children learn in the classroom and how they can get involved in space as a career.”
Astronaut Tim Peake
School visits to the National Space Centre
A standard day trip to the centre, which welcomes more than 80,000 schoolchildren every year, includes a show in the UK’s largest planetarium, live talks and a selection of workshops. Schools can also tailor their visit to their group’s educational goals.
For more information about school visits, including the new experience, click here.
