Following its UK tour, Tim Peake’s spacesuit will go on display at the National Space Centre in Leicester this summer.
Following its UK tour, Tim Peake’s spacesuit will go on display at the National Space Centre in Leicester this summer.
The Science Museum Group has announced that the Sokol space suit worn by Tim Peake during his Principia mission to the International Space Station, and the Sokol KV-2 emergency suit, will go on display in Leicester’s National Space Centre later this year.
The UK tour of Tim Peake’s spacecraft
The new long-term display follows a successful UK tour of Peake’s spacecraft Soyuz TMA-19M which has already visited the National Railway Museum in York, Peterborough Cathedral and the National Museum Scotland, among others.
The display is currently in place at the National Museum Cardiff until the 10th February, after which it will move to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Belfast on 19th February, where it will stay until 12th May.
Once the tour has concluded, the Sokol spacesuit will go on long-term loan to the National Space Centre in Leicester, where it will be displayed alongside garments worn by Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, UK-born NASA astronaut Piers Sellers and the EVA suit worn by Matt Damon in the movie, The Martian.
European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Tim Peake said: “I’m really thrilled that the Science Museum Group has agreed that once the tour is finished my Sokol spacesuit will go on long-term loan to the National Space Centre in Leicester.
“From summer it will take pride of place in the space centre’s new exhibition charting an astronaut’s journey from training through to their mission launch, time in space and return to earth.”
Planning a group visit to the National Space Centre
Groups of 15 or more can benefit from specially designed packages.
It is recommended that groups allow three to four hours to enjoy the galleries and the Planetarium show, with another hour added to leave time for lunch or afternoon tea.
For more information, visit www.spacecentre.co.uk/visit/groups-3/.
Image: The exhibition space at the National Space Centre in which Tim Peake’s spacesuit will be housed from the Summer.
