Up to Space

»Hurrah ! Hurrah!« exclaimed Michel Ardan and Nicholl in one voice. Indeed, this thick darkness proved that the projectile had left the earth, for the soil, brilliantly lit by the moonbeams, would have been visible to the travellers, if they had been lying on its surface. This darkness also showed that the projectile had passed the atmospheric strata, for the diffused light spread in the air would have been reflected on the metal walls, which reflection was wanting. This light would have lit the window, and the window was dark. Doubt was no longer possible; the travellers had left the earth. (Jules Verne, Around the Moon, 1869)

The travelling exhibition »Up to Space«, which, after its debut at the Universum Bremen, was shown in Paris, Barcelona, Valencia, and Lisbon, dealt with the present and future of manned spaceflight. Visitors could experience virtual trips into space and to the moon, everyday life on the International Space Station (ISS), and the feeling of weightlessness. Interactive exhibits facilitated the learning experience. Materials, lighting, and real space technology created an atmosphere in which the boundaries between the exhibition and visitors, between Earth and space, seemed to dissolve. Among other things, the European Space Agency (ESA) provided simulated moon rock from a 3D printer for the exhibition.