National Space Centre

The UK is go for launch! But exactly what is a spaceport and why does the UK need space?
The government has announced funding for a new spaceport in the north of Scotland, and Cornwall is partnering with Virgin Orbit to launch small satellites from its airport. First launches could be as early as 2021.
This exciting new development is several years in the making, but for many people outside the space industry it’s raised questions of just what is a spaceport and what exactly does the UK need space for?

Thanks to the team at 23 Wine and Whiskey the National Space Centre is hosting the very first Leicester Whisky Festival.
Our galleries will be filled with the very best brands, experts and distillers, in an evening dedicated to the “water of life”.
The 23 Wine and Whiskey team will also be adding a fantastic array of masterclasses, so if you want to delve deeper, make sure you upgrade your ticket to include a masterclass (or two).
... Festival tickets are just £15 and include:
• Entry to the National Space Centre and food court (19:00 – 23:00) • Limited edition festival branded Glencairn tasting glass • Festival Guide • Samples from participating exhibitors • Water stations • Live music • Planetarium talks and demonstrations
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Screening 25th August as part of our Film Club evenings: HIDDEN FIGURES - meet the women you don’t know, behind the mission you do.
Hidden Figures tells the incredible untold story of Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) – brilliant African-American women working at NASA who served as the brains behind the launch into orbit of astronaut John Glenn, a stunning achievement that turned around the Space Race.
Don't miss this award-winning movie screened in our planetarium - BOOK NOW

14,000 kilometres in under 4 minutes!
Join ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst for a quick flight from the USA to Africa aboard the International Space Station in this time-lapse. Alexander will be living and working on board the International Space Station for six months from June to December 2018.

Our new Welcome Hall exhibition has five new occupants today!

Lift-off for Scotland: Sutherland to host first UK spaceport
A remote, boggy stretch of land on the north coast of Scotland is likely to become the UK's first spaceport.
The A'Mhoine Peninsula in Sutherland has been chosen as the most suitable place from which to launch rockets vertically to put satellites in orbit.

On the 15th October, we have a visit from a very special guest - Wally Funk
In 1961, Wally Funk was among the Mercury 13, the first group of American pilots to pass the ‘Women in Space’ programme.
Wally sailed through a series of rigorous physical and mental tests, with one of her scores beating all the male Mercury 7 astronauts’, including John Glenn’s, the first American in orbit.
... Meet Wally and Sue Nelson, author of "Wally Funk's Race for Space: The Extraordinary Story of a Female Aviation Pioneer'.
Book now - tickets are limited
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This image from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, acquired May 13, 2018 during winter at the South Pole of Mars, shows a carbon dioxide ice cap covering the region and as the sun returns in the spring, "spiders" begin to emerge from the landscape.
But these aren't actual spiders. Called "araneiform terrain," describes the spider-like radiating mounds that form when carbon dioxide ice below the surface heats up and releases. This is an active seasonal process not seen on Ear...th. Like dry ice on Earth, the carbon dioxide ice on Mars sublimates as it warms (changes from solid to gas) and the gas becomes trapped below the surface.
Over time the trapped carbon dioxide gas builds in pressure and is eventually strong enough to break through the ice as a jet that erupts dust. The gas is released into the atmosphere and darker dust may be deposited around the vent or transported by winds to produce streaks. The loss of the sublimated carbon dioxide leaves behind these spider-like features etched into the surface.
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Observatories Team Up to Reveal Rare Double Asteroid
New observations by three of the world‘s largest radio telescopes have revealed that an asteroid discovered last year is actually two objects, each about 3,000 feet (900 meters) in size, orbiting each other
This is only the fourth "equal mass" binary near-Earth asteroid ever detected, consisting of two objects nearly identical in size, orbiting each other. The new observations provide the most detailed images ever obtained of this type of binary asteroid.

SPACE ROCKS!
25th & 26th July Drop into the National Space Academy Science Lab to have a close up look at some amazing and VERY SPECIAL space rocks (free to all ticket holders).
... Part of THE SECRET WORLD OF GASES summer event
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JOBS: Space Crew Team Member (Full-Time)
Talented individuals are required to join our Space Crew. As the ‘face of the Space Centre’ the multi-skilled role will incorporate all aspects of customer care, including ticketing, catering, retail and exhibition guide.
For more details and to apply - follow the link below

A day dedicated to Wally Funk and the Mercury 13 programme with host Sue Nelson.
In 1961, Wally Funk was among the Mercury 13, the first group of American pilots to pass the ‘Women in Space’ programme. Wally sailed through a series of rigorous physical and mental tests, with one of her scores beating all the male Mercury 7 astronauts’, including John Glenn’s, the first American in orbit.
But just one week before the final phase of training, the programme was abruptly cancelled. A combination of politics and prejudice meant that none of the women ever flew into space. Undeterred, Wally went on to become America’s first female aviation safety inspector, though her dream of being an astronaut never dimmed.

NASA’s Fermi Traces Source of Cosmic Neutrino to Monster Black Hole
For the first time ever, scientists using NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have found the source of a high-energy neutrino from outside our galaxy.
This neutrino traveled 3.7 billion years at almost the speed of light before being detected on Earth. This is farther than any other neutrino whose origin scientists can identify.

Our final piece in the Training, Launch, Living, Working, Landing exhibition opening this month in the new Welcome Hall is the Forel Hydrosuit
Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Poleshchuk took this Forel Hydrosuit into space with him during the Soyuz TM-16 mission to the Mir space station in 1993.
Part of a cosmonaut’s survival kit, this waterproof suit is designed to float in case of landing in water. It has a self-inflating collar, like those used on aeroplanes, with a mouthpiece and tube in case extra inflation is needed.

"Tricorder" in use on Internation Space Station
This gadget looks like a precursor to the devices medical officers use to scan patients in science fiction, and it is not far off. The MyotonPRO tests muscle tension and stiffness.
The device is being used on the International Space Station by ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst. Part of the Myotones experiment, Alexander is using the smart-phone-sized device to investigate the human resting muscle tone system.

We really do have awesome jobs at the National Space Centre!
When The National Space Academy get new kit, some of the team get to “test” it before it is used for workshops. Obviously with some of the artefacts this is not possible, but occasionally we get to experience really weird and amazing things.
Here is our Space Communications Manager “testing” the new (well new to us) Soviet High Altitude GSh-6 (Germoshelm 6) helmet, which is still in use today!

Make Your Own Edible Meteorites!
On Saturday 30 June 2018 we hosted a Space Lates event celebrating Asteroid Day!
This evening included special talks and displays all about asteroids, but we also gave visitors a chance to make their very own edible meteorites. Because space rocks are more fun when they’re edible!
... For the recipe and how to make them - follow the link below.
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Thanks to the team at Prop Store, we have a little bit of Hollywood for the new Welcome Hall exhibition, the EVA Spacesuit from ‘The Martian’
Matt Damon wore this spacesuit during the filming of Ridley Scott’s sci-fi survival movie, ‘The Martian’.
It is an Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) spacesuit, based on the EMU spacesuits NASA use on the International Space Station. It depicts a serious attempt to imagine what future Martian spacesuits might look like.

Come and see THE SCIENCE SHOW - part of our SECRET WORLD OF GASES summer activities.
Our team will take you on a journey of discovery with some of our more “explosive” experiments, so roll up, roll up and see the Secret World of Gases in action:
• Shrinking Balloons – create liquid air ... • Liquid Air – make invisible air visible • Liquid Nitrogen Fountain – a truly spectacular experiment • Boiling Nitrogen – see nitrogen change from a liquid to a gas Blazing • Oxygen – rapid oxidation in action
For more info on all the activities and to book - follow the link below
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We went to the space centre yesterday for the "small space" day - aimed at 2-5year olds. Would highly recommend it! There was so much for the little man to touch see and do. My hubby pointed out last night there was not a single "do not touch" sign in the entire place. All staff were so friendly and helpful. Plenty of space to sit and eat our own food - which was a pleasant surprise. The activities that were on for the younger generation were well done and again staff were lovely. Spent a total of 5hrs there - and I'm sure we didn't see all of it. The little man did not stop all day! And thoroughly enjoyed himself - will def be returning with our annual pass � thank you space centre for a fab day out.

We had a great day out. There was enough there to keep the kids entertained and some very interesting exhibits for the adults. As a bonus, when we went they were giving free season passes with the day entry passes.



Essentially is it a museum, but there were so many interactive exhibits it was very entertaining.



To cap it off, the Sir Patrick Moore planetarium had a feature called "We Are Stars", which gave a very breif history of the universe and how all the atoms in and around us once in stars. Very immersive, which some genuinely spectacular visuals.



I would high recommend it.

We brought out space mad 6yr old yesterday and it blew his mind! So much to see and the hands on bits are fantastic!



Great range of exhibits suitable for all ages.



The staff were all very friendly and chatted with our little astronaut.



Thought the prices at the Boosters Cafe were reasonable. Shop was a little pricey but that didn't stop us spending!



Will definitely be coming back again and again!

We arrived about mid day on a Saturday. We didn’t book online, and the queue was long. But we were only there a few minutes. The lady at the till was very friendly and gave us all the information we needed. The upgrade to the annual pass was a bonus!! Overall the NSC was amazing, the highlight was the planetarium, the film we are stars was very informative, me and my son took a lot from it. The whole centre was very educational and will help my son with his school project this term. The only drawback for me was the selection of hot food. Hot dogs and nachos are ok, but not very nutritious. Understandbly lots of people to servve and quickly, the food was hot and tasty though. We very much look forward to visiting again over the next 12 months.

Visited today with my 7 year old as she is doing Space as her school topic this term. We all loved our visit! Very informative and interactive that my daughter was able to understand and learn new things. The highlight of the day was by far the show in the planetarium....amazing!!! Pre booked online, which I was glad of due to the size of the queue when we arrived! And the tickets allow access for 12 months. We will definitely be visiting again. Well recommended if you have little ones, or big ones, who are interested in space.

Our 5yr old and 2.5yr olds loved our day at NSC. We were there for 6hrs and there was still more to see and do so will definitely be back with our free annual pass �



Planetarium show was incredible! Our 5yr couldn't believe everything began with stars!



Everything we tried 'worked' and although our children couldn't read the exhibits most were pretty self explanatory and really engaging. We didn't read much of the exhibits either too busy making the most of the interactive stuff but still feel as adults we learnt a lot today as did the children - without even trying!



Gift shop was a little pricey but we managed to find little somethings to take away and like others have said your not forced to walk through the gift shop so can bypass if you want.



Toilets all clean and easily accessible.



There are plenty of areas to sit and eat. You are able to take a picnic in too so that helps keep cost down.



Although 5.5hr round trip we will def be back! For our kids ages this was better and more interactive than science museum in London!

Loved it! So did my 4 year old �

I would say this is really family friendly. We had a 4 yr old and 5 month old in a pushchair. We could get the pushchair around easily. Lift access to the top of the rockets. Baby change facilities, loads of picnic tables for packed lunches, car park was cheap and right outside the entrance.

Tons to see and do. Loads of interactive displays to learn from so a huge recommendation from us. Plus with the admission we got annual tickets for no extra charge. So we will be returning!

I visited the space centre with hubby and my 9 years old son and my 5 years old daughter and we all loved it! Very entertaining for the whole family. Plenty to do and a lot of interactive games for the kids too.

Amazing place worth visiting and staff is super efficient !

I came yesterday with my 10 year old daughter and parents. We arrived shortly after 10 without booking our tickets and there was no que which was great. We had a fantastic day which was very informative and interesting for the young and old. It's was pitched really well and the most interactive attraction for children that I have been too. We loved the planetarium but all the exhibition were great. We didn't quite to get see it all as there is just so much to do and see, but that doesn't matter as we have our annual pass and will definitely be back.

I attend with my 67 year old mother in a mobility scooter and my sister who is 48 years old with serve scencery problem she presents as a 9 year. and no one stared when she got over excited and started to scream which was very pleasing. I also brought my 10year goddaughter. My mum could access most of the activities but not the stimulator (it does through you around a bit) my sister was able to touch things and got very excited. My sister and goddaughter had a go on the air vhair which they both loved.The planetarium had broken down so could not view in there, it did not dampen our day. The little cafe is just that a little it does sandwiches and baguettes we had pulled pork baguette for £3.95. hotdogs and soup of the day is the only hot food available yesterday Easter Sunday 2018. But again responsible price.

The shop is quite expensive and even more for me as I left my purchases behind as helping my sister.

In all a very good day out highly recommended a brilliant place for adults and children a like.

Great day out for the whole family. Fantastic hands on exhibits and displays. Well signposted for motorists. Best value is to book on line. Car parking is £3 pay and display but valid all day and there is the pumping station next door to visit which will ensure a full day out. Brilliant, cannot recommend it highly enough.

Accompanied by 112 9-11 year olds and 12 staff, we made the 6 hour round trip to Leicester solely for the Space Centre. We all had an amazing day and the children and staff adored it. My personal favourite was the planetarium but I was massively impressed with the layout and child friendly approach to the exhibits. I honestly feel this is by far a better day out than the science museum in London. Perfect for children and adults. I'll be taking my partner back in the school holidays so I can enjoy it without the responsibility of so many kids. The booking process was easy and staff were incredibly helpful and willing to support any questions or requests we had (including those for a disabled pupil). I was really pleased. An excellent day out.

Absolutely fantastic! Me and my boyfriend went (both of us are 25+) and we genuinely thought we'd be there 2 hours tops. After nearly 7 hours at the NSC (and still not done half the things) we had to leave because it was closing otherwise we would have happily stayed longer!



Do bring your own food though as it's a little pricey, but the amount of fun we have for the small ticket price was completely worth it! We're definitely going again!

We all enjoyed it. The only downfall was a young child crying in in the Planetarium. We couldn't hear most of it.

The parent should of taken them out or put dummy in its mouth.

Not only that the staff should of taken them out so others could watch it. Either that or let us watch it again!. There was a few angry people in there that day. Me and my children being three of them

The trip to the space centre was amazing, the planetarium would be recommended to 3-5year olds it was very odd but still factual.I had lots of fun with the activities there were Gess who (with the astronauts who went to the Moon),I controlled a rover which was a bit annoying because it was hard to control and the buttons were hard to understand.

Had a great time with my 8 year old son. The only thing what was a let down was the cafeteria area, tables with left trays, rub Lisa on the floor and really full bins. Just think there is too many tables and trying to get to a table and dodging around chairs and people with your own food is a joke. Seating area needs some attention. But still a great place to visit.

Given it one less star due to the amount of school kids there haha which i knew wasn't your fault.

We took our son for his second birthday and he absolutely loved it! Even though he didn't know half the buttons or flaps he was doing he loved that he could be so interactive :) he's mad about space and was amaZed at the real life rockets and enjoyed seeing the planets in all their glory :) we had a great day and would love to come back again once he's a bit older so might understand a little more.

Toilets and café facilities are great and plenty of seating dotted around :)

Was happy with the lifts and baby changing facilities too!

We had a great day out thanks a lot!

Took our 4 year old grandson and went early, glad we did, as too busy when we left. Still huge queues when we departed, not sure if they have a maximum quoto? Planetarium is good, but large queues again. Not too sure how old the Space Centre is, but a lot of the 'hands on' items were not working, even the little switches etc that probably activated a light didn't work, sounds trivial, but means alot to small child. Those items working usually attracted another queue to use. Maybe in need of a refurbishment and admission limit?

It's not a bad place to visit and the annual pass is good if there's a few events u fancy( although u can't use it for premium events) .. My child has always enjoyed it whether it's just the space centre or an event...Hes 8...Food reasonably priced and gift shop not too bad some items pricey bt you can avoid it... Lots of toilets...Parking is OK very busy on event days... Main negative for us is no refunds on eve events so if u can't go due to unforseen problem or weather bad as has been our problem this time due to car won't start you lose your money and not transferable yet daytime tickets can be...

14,000 kilometres in under 4 minutes!
Join ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst for a quick flight from the USA to Africa aboard the International Space Station in this time-lapse. Alexander will be living and working on board the International Space Station for six months from June to December 2018.

We went to the space centre yesterday for the "small space" day - aimed at 2-5year olds. Would highly recommend it! There was so much for the little man to touch see and do. My hubby pointed out last night there was not a single "do not touch" sign in the entire place. All staff were so friendly and helpful. Plenty of space to sit and eat our own food - which was a pleasant surprise. The activities that were on for the younger generation were well done and again staff were lovely. Spent a total of 5hrs there - and I'm sure we didn't see all of it. The little man did not stop all day! And thoroughly enjoyed himself - will def be returning with our annual pass � thank you space centre for a fab day out.

We had a great day out. There was enough there to keep the kids entertained and some very interesting exhibits for the adults. As a bonus, when we went they were giving free season passes with the day entry passes.



Essentially is it a museum, but there were so many interactive exhibits it was very entertaining.



To cap it off, the Sir Patrick Moore planetarium had a feature called "We Are Stars", which gave a very breif history of the universe and how all the atoms in and around us once in stars. Very immersive, which some genuinely spectacular visuals.



I would high recommend it.

We brought out space mad 6yr old yesterday and it blew his mind! So much to see and the hands on bits are fantastic!



Great range of exhibits suitable for all ages.



The staff were all very friendly and chatted with our little astronaut.



Thought the prices at the Boosters Cafe were reasonable. Shop was a little pricey but that didn't stop us spending!



Will definitely be coming back again and again!

We arrived about mid day on a Saturday. We didn’t book online, and the queue was long. But we were only there a few minutes. The lady at the till was very friendly and gave us all the information we needed. The upgrade to the annual pass was a bonus!! Overall the NSC was amazing, the highlight was the planetarium, the film we are stars was very informative, me and my son took a lot from it. The whole centre was very educational and will help my son with his school project this term. The only drawback for me was the selection of hot food. Hot dogs and nachos are ok, but not very nutritious. Understandbly lots of people to servve and quickly, the food was hot and tasty though. We very much look forward to visiting again over the next 12 months.

Visited today with my 7 year old as she is doing Space as her school topic this term. We all loved our visit! Very informative and interactive that my daughter was able to understand and learn new things. The highlight of the day was by far the show in the planetarium....amazing!!! Pre booked online, which I was glad of due to the size of the queue when we arrived! And the tickets allow access for 12 months. We will definitely be visiting again. Well recommended if you have little ones, or big ones, who are interested in space.

Our 5yr old and 2.5yr olds loved our day at NSC. We were there for 6hrs and there was still more to see and do so will definitely be back with our free annual pass �



Planetarium show was incredible! Our 5yr couldn't believe everything began with stars!



Everything we tried 'worked' and although our children couldn't read the exhibits most were pretty self explanatory and really engaging. We didn't read much of the exhibits either too busy making the most of the interactive stuff but still feel as adults we learnt a lot today as did the children - without even trying!



Gift shop was a little pricey but we managed to find little somethings to take away and like others have said your not forced to walk through the gift shop so can bypass if you want.



Toilets all clean and easily accessible.



There are plenty of areas to sit and eat. You are able to take a picnic in too so that helps keep cost down.



Although 5.5hr round trip we will def be back! For our kids ages this was better and more interactive than science museum in London!

Loved it! So did my 4 year old �

I would say this is really family friendly. We had a 4 yr old and 5 month old in a pushchair. We could get the pushchair around easily. Lift access to the top of the rockets. Baby change facilities, loads of picnic tables for packed lunches, car park was cheap and right outside the entrance.

Tons to see and do. Loads of interactive displays to learn from so a huge recommendation from us. Plus with the admission we got annual tickets for no extra charge. So we will be returning!

I visited the space centre with hubby and my 9 years old son and my 5 years old daughter and we all loved it! Very entertaining for the whole family. Plenty to do and a lot of interactive games for the kids too.

Amazing place worth visiting and staff is super efficient !

I came yesterday with my 10 year old daughter and parents. We arrived shortly after 10 without booking our tickets and there was no que which was great. We had a fantastic day which was very informative and interesting for the young and old. It's was pitched really well and the most interactive attraction for children that I have been too. We loved the planetarium but all the exhibition were great. We didn't quite to get see it all as there is just so much to do and see, but that doesn't matter as we have our annual pass and will definitely be back.

I attend with my 67 year old mother in a mobility scooter and my sister who is 48 years old with serve scencery problem she presents as a 9 year. and no one stared when she got over excited and started to scream which was very pleasing. I also brought my 10year goddaughter. My mum could access most of the activities but not the stimulator (it does through you around a bit) my sister was able to touch things and got very excited. My sister and goddaughter had a go on the air vhair which they both loved.The planetarium had broken down so could not view in there, it did not dampen our day. The little cafe is just that a little it does sandwiches and baguettes we had pulled pork baguette for £3.95. hotdogs and soup of the day is the only hot food available yesterday Easter Sunday 2018. But again responsible price.

The shop is quite expensive and even more for me as I left my purchases behind as helping my sister.

In all a very good day out highly recommended a brilliant place for adults and children a like.

Great day out for the whole family. Fantastic hands on exhibits and displays. Well signposted for motorists. Best value is to book on line. Car parking is £3 pay and display but valid all day and there is the pumping station next door to visit which will ensure a full day out. Brilliant, cannot recommend it highly enough.

Accompanied by 112 9-11 year olds and 12 staff, we made the 6 hour round trip to Leicester solely for the Space Centre. We all had an amazing day and the children and staff adored it. My personal favourite was the planetarium but I was massively impressed with the layout and child friendly approach to the exhibits. I honestly feel this is by far a better day out than the science museum in London. Perfect for children and adults. I'll be taking my partner back in the school holidays so I can enjoy it without the responsibility of so many kids. The booking process was easy and staff were incredibly helpful and willing to support any questions or requests we had (including those for a disabled pupil). I was really pleased. An excellent day out.

Absolutely fantastic! Me and my boyfriend went (both of us are 25+) and we genuinely thought we'd be there 2 hours tops. After nearly 7 hours at the NSC (and still not done half the things) we had to leave because it was closing otherwise we would have happily stayed longer!



Do bring your own food though as it's a little pricey, but the amount of fun we have for the small ticket price was completely worth it! We're definitely going again!

We all enjoyed it. The only downfall was a young child crying in in the Planetarium. We couldn't hear most of it.

The parent should of taken them out or put dummy in its mouth.

Not only that the staff should of taken them out so others could watch it. Either that or let us watch it again!. There was a few angry people in there that day. Me and my children being three of them

The trip to the space centre was amazing, the planetarium would be recommended to 3-5year olds it was very odd but still factual.I had lots of fun with the activities there were Gess who (with the astronauts who went to the Moon),I controlled a rover which was a bit annoying because it was hard to control and the buttons were hard to understand.

Had a great time with my 8 year old son. The only thing what was a let down was the cafeteria area, tables with left trays, rub Lisa on the floor and really full bins. Just think there is too many tables and trying to get to a table and dodging around chairs and people with your own food is a joke. Seating area needs some attention. But still a great place to visit.

Given it one less star due to the amount of school kids there haha which i knew wasn't your fault.

We took our son for his second birthday and he absolutely loved it! Even though he didn't know half the buttons or flaps he was doing he loved that he could be so interactive :) he's mad about space and was amaZed at the real life rockets and enjoyed seeing the planets in all their glory :) we had a great day and would love to come back again once he's a bit older so might understand a little more.

Toilets and café facilities are great and plenty of seating dotted around :)

Was happy with the lifts and baby changing facilities too!

We had a great day out thanks a lot!

Took our 4 year old grandson and went early, glad we did, as too busy when we left. Still huge queues when we departed, not sure if they have a maximum quoto? Planetarium is good, but large queues again. Not too sure how old the Space Centre is, but a lot of the 'hands on' items were not working, even the little switches etc that probably activated a light didn't work, sounds trivial, but means alot to small child. Those items working usually attracted another queue to use. Maybe in need of a refurbishment and admission limit?

It's not a bad place to visit and the annual pass is good if there's a few events u fancy( although u can't use it for premium events) .. My child has always enjoyed it whether it's just the space centre or an event...Hes 8...Food reasonably priced and gift shop not too bad some items pricey bt you can avoid it... Lots of toilets...Parking is OK very busy on event days... Main negative for us is no refunds on eve events so if u can't go due to unforseen problem or weather bad as has been our problem this time due to car won't start you lose your money and not transferable yet daytime tickets can be...

14,000 kilometres in under 4 minutes!
Join ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst for a quick flight from the USA to Africa aboard the International Space Station in this time-lapse. Alexander will be living and working on board the International Space Station for six months from June to December 2018.

We went to the space centre yesterday for the "small space" day - aimed at 2-5year olds. Would highly recommend it! There was so much for the little man to touch see and do. My hubby pointed out last night there was not a single "do not touch" sign in the entire place. All staff were so friendly and helpful. Plenty of space to sit and eat our own food - which was a pleasant surprise. The activities that were on for the younger generation were well done and again staff were lovely. Spent a total of 5hrs there - and I'm sure we didn't see all of it. The little man did not stop all day! And thoroughly enjoyed himself - will def be returning with our annual pass � thank you space centre for a fab day out.

We had a great day out. There was enough there to keep the kids entertained and some very interesting exhibits for the adults. As a bonus, when we went they were giving free season passes with the day entry passes.



Essentially is it a museum, but there were so many interactive exhibits it was very entertaining.



To cap it off, the Sir Patrick Moore planetarium had a feature called "We Are Stars", which gave a very breif history of the universe and how all the atoms in and around us once in stars. Very immersive, which some genuinely spectacular visuals.



I would high recommend it.

We brought out space mad 6yr old yesterday and it blew his mind! So much to see and the hands on bits are fantastic!



Great range of exhibits suitable for all ages.



The staff were all very friendly and chatted with our little astronaut.



Thought the prices at the Boosters Cafe were reasonable. Shop was a little pricey but that didn't stop us spending!



Will definitely be coming back again and again!

We arrived about mid day on a Saturday. We didn’t book online, and the queue was long. But we were only there a few minutes. The lady at the till was very friendly and gave us all the information we needed. The upgrade to the annual pass was a bonus!! Overall the NSC was amazing, the highlight was the planetarium, the film we are stars was very informative, me and my son took a lot from it. The whole centre was very educational and will help my son with his school project this term. The only drawback for me was the selection of hot food. Hot dogs and nachos are ok, but not very nutritious. Understandbly lots of people to servve and quickly, the food was hot and tasty though. We very much look forward to visiting again over the next 12 months.

Visited today with my 7 year old as she is doing Space as her school topic this term. We all loved our visit! Very informative and interactive that my daughter was able to understand and learn new things. The highlight of the day was by far the show in the planetarium....amazing!!! Pre booked online, which I was glad of due to the size of the queue when we arrived! And the tickets allow access for 12 months. We will definitely be visiting again. Well recommended if you have little ones, or big ones, who are interested in space.

Our 5yr old and 2.5yr olds loved our day at NSC. We were there for 6hrs and there was still more to see and do so will definitely be back with our free annual pass �



Planetarium show was incredible! Our 5yr couldn't believe everything began with stars!



Everything we tried 'worked' and although our children couldn't read the exhibits most were pretty self explanatory and really engaging. We didn't read much of the exhibits either too busy making the most of the interactive stuff but still feel as adults we learnt a lot today as did the children - without even trying!



Gift shop was a little pricey but we managed to find little somethings to take away and like others have said your not forced to walk through the gift shop so can bypass if you want.



Toilets all clean and easily accessible.



There are plenty of areas to sit and eat. You are able to take a picnic in too so that helps keep cost down.



Although 5.5hr round trip we will def be back! For our kids ages this was better and more interactive than science museum in London!

Loved it! So did my 4 year old �

I would say this is really family friendly. We had a 4 yr old and 5 month old in a pushchair. We could get the pushchair around easily. Lift access to the top of the rockets. Baby change facilities, loads of picnic tables for packed lunches, car park was cheap and right outside the entrance.

Tons to see and do. Loads of interactive displays to learn from so a huge recommendation from us. Plus with the admission we got annual tickets for no extra charge. So we will be returning!

I visited the space centre with hubby and my 9 years old son and my 5 years old daughter and we all loved it! Very entertaining for the whole family. Plenty to do and a lot of interactive games for the kids too.

Amazing place worth visiting and staff is super efficient !

I came yesterday with my 10 year old daughter and parents. We arrived shortly after 10 without booking our tickets and there was no que which was great. We had a fantastic day which was very informative and interesting for the young and old. It's was pitched really well and the most interactive attraction for children that I have been too. We loved the planetarium but all the exhibition were great. We didn't quite to get see it all as there is just so much to do and see, but that doesn't matter as we have our annual pass and will definitely be back.

I attend with my 67 year old mother in a mobility scooter and my sister who is 48 years old with serve scencery problem she presents as a 9 year. and no one stared when she got over excited and started to scream which was very pleasing. I also brought my 10year goddaughter. My mum could access most of the activities but not the stimulator (it does through you around a bit) my sister was able to touch things and got very excited. My sister and goddaughter had a go on the air vhair which they both loved.The planetarium had broken down so could not view in there, it did not dampen our day. The little cafe is just that a little it does sandwiches and baguettes we had pulled pork baguette for £3.95. hotdogs and soup of the day is the only hot food available yesterday Easter Sunday 2018. But again responsible price.

The shop is quite expensive and even more for me as I left my purchases behind as helping my sister.

In all a very good day out highly recommended a brilliant place for adults and children a like.

Great day out for the whole family. Fantastic hands on exhibits and displays. Well signposted for motorists. Best value is to book on line. Car parking is £3 pay and display but valid all day and there is the pumping station next door to visit which will ensure a full day out. Brilliant, cannot recommend it highly enough.

Accompanied by 112 9-11 year olds and 12 staff, we made the 6 hour round trip to Leicester solely for the Space Centre. We all had an amazing day and the children and staff adored it. My personal favourite was the planetarium but I was massively impressed with the layout and child friendly approach to the exhibits. I honestly feel this is by far a better day out than the science museum in London. Perfect for children and adults. I'll be taking my partner back in the school holidays so I can enjoy it without the responsibility of so many kids. The booking process was easy and staff were incredibly helpful and willing to support any questions or requests we had (including those for a disabled pupil). I was really pleased. An excellent day out.

Absolutely fantastic! Me and my boyfriend went (both of us are 25+) and we genuinely thought we'd be there 2 hours tops. After nearly 7 hours at the NSC (and still not done half the things) we had to leave because it was closing otherwise we would have happily stayed longer!



Do bring your own food though as it's a little pricey, but the amount of fun we have for the small ticket price was completely worth it! We're definitely going again!

We all enjoyed it. The only downfall was a young child crying in in the Planetarium. We couldn't hear most of it.

The parent should of taken them out or put dummy in its mouth.

Not only that the staff should of taken them out so others could watch it. Either that or let us watch it again!. There was a few angry people in there that day. Me and my children being three of them

The trip to the space centre was amazing, the planetarium would be recommended to 3-5year olds it was very odd but still factual.I had lots of fun with the activities there were Gess who (with the astronauts who went to the Moon),I controlled a rover which was a bit annoying because it was hard to control and the buttons were hard to understand.

Had a great time with my 8 year old son. The only thing what was a let down was the cafeteria area, tables with left trays, rub Lisa on the floor and really full bins. Just think there is too many tables and trying to get to a table and dodging around chairs and people with your own food is a joke. Seating area needs some attention. But still a great place to visit.

Given it one less star due to the amount of school kids there haha which i knew wasn't your fault.

We took our son for his second birthday and he absolutely loved it! Even though he didn't know half the buttons or flaps he was doing he loved that he could be so interactive :) he's mad about space and was amaZed at the real life rockets and enjoyed seeing the planets in all their glory :) we had a great day and would love to come back again once he's a bit older so might understand a little more.

Toilets and café facilities are great and plenty of seating dotted around :)

Was happy with the lifts and baby changing facilities too!

We had a great day out thanks a lot!

Took our 4 year old grandson and went early, glad we did, as too busy when we left. Still huge queues when we departed, not sure if they have a maximum quoto? Planetarium is good, but large queues again. Not too sure how old the Space Centre is, but a lot of the 'hands on' items were not working, even the little switches etc that probably activated a light didn't work, sounds trivial, but means alot to small child. Those items working usually attracted another queue to use. Maybe in need of a refurbishment and admission limit?

It's not a bad place to visit and the annual pass is good if there's a few events u fancy( although u can't use it for premium events) .. My child has always enjoyed it whether it's just the space centre or an event...Hes 8...Food reasonably priced and gift shop not too bad some items pricey bt you can avoid it... Lots of toilets...Parking is OK very busy on event days... Main negative for us is no refunds on eve events so if u can't go due to unforseen problem or weather bad as has been our problem this time due to car won't start you lose your money and not transferable yet daytime tickets can be...