PRESS RELEASE
SPACE
October 29, 2014:
the new permanent exhibition devoted to Space and Astronomy opens to the public.
An interactive journey between objects, places, people and technologies connected to
the exploration of the Universe and the discovery of Italian excellence in the industry.
National Museum of Science and Technology
Via San Vittore 21, Milan
Opening of the new Space area at the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da
Vinci in Milan: a much-anticipated and much sought permanent exhibition dedicated to Space and
Astronomy. Immerse yourself in the history and technologies related to the exploration of the
Cosmos. Fascinating original and never-before exhibited objects, interactive experiences, insights
and oddities alongside the only fragment of moon rock in Italy, recovered in 1972 by the Apollo 17
mission.
The new area has been produced with the assistance of public and private partners, including
leading Italian companies in the aerospace industry.
"The opening of the Space area is a special event," said Fiorenzo Galli, Director General of the
National Museum of Science and Technology "because it is an exhibition of intense charm, greatly
anticipated by our public. It is part of our mission to tell the stories of the frontiers of research and
technology. Space exploration meets a need of humanity to know the unknown, but it also has an
important impact on our lives that needs to be made public. This sector's contribution in terms of
science and industry is very important and our exhibition aims to highlight this issue. Thanks to
the help of more than a thousand supporters, we are also proud to be able to exhibit the fragment
of Moon rock brought to Earth by the Apollo 17 mission, the last with which man has set foot on
the Moon."
"Space exploration is happening again after a slowdown," said Giovanni Caprara, Curator of the
new exhibition and President of the Italian Space Society" and new missions are yet to come. By
the end of the year we will witness the first flight of Orion, the new NASA capsule designed to
carry astronauts beyond the orbit of the International Space Station and to the asteroids, the
Moon and, perhaps, to Mars. China is preparing other landings of automatic probes on the Moon,
and Russia is looking at our natural satellite for new strategies. The European Space Agency is
about to launch missions towards Mars and Mercury. ASI, the Italian Space Agency, shares these
scientific and technological challenges which include Earth observation from space vectors and
engage the industrial world to the frontiers of knowledge. The new Area of the National Museum
of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci will follow these new projected into the future. At
the same time telling the story of Italian scientists and technologists who participated in space
exploration in the last fifty years, placing Italy among protagonist nations in the cosmic
adventure".
Eugene Cernan - commander of the Apollo 17 mission and Omega brand ambassador commented "It makes me extremely proud that a sample from the Moon we returned during our
final mission, Apollo XVII, will be displayed and shared with all those who visit the Museum of
Science in Milano. The opening of this new interactive section will be an inspiration for young
people to dream and expand their interest in space exploration".
The Space area is set next to the Leonardo Gallery, in the Monumental Building of the Olivetan
monastery in which the Museum is located. It tells the story of four centuries of astronomy and
space research, from Galileo to the present day, with an eye to the future.
Through two core areas, Observing Space and Going into Space, the visitor is guided in this
exploration of the Cosmos. The topics are presented in an immersive, interactive and highly
evocative setting thanks to Samsung, the technological partner for the Project, which makes
available to visitors its new devices and solutions.
The first part of the exhibition tells the story of the observation of the Earth from Space, with a
particular focus on the "tools of the trade" and the activities of past and contemporary
astronomers: to observe, measure, interpret and represent the celestial objects and Space as a
whole. Fascinating original items, including two celestial and two terrestrial Coronelli and
Moroncelli globes of the 1600s, a wooden model of the Brera Astronomical Observatory, the
equatorial sector Sisson 1774 - used for the first studies of Uranus and the discovery of the
asteroid Hesperia, the first scientific discovery of a united Italy by Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli.
The interactive stations designed by the Museum in conjunction with ETT, present to adults and
children the world of astronomy in its concreteness and actuality.
Visitors can explore the area and gain new knowledge of the technologies for exploring the
Cosmos and Earth, that also improve essential services in our everyday life. It also introduces the
human dimension of the conquest of Space: on the one hand the characters, objects, adventures
and dreams, on the other hand the experience of the ISS (International Space Station) and the
astronaut profession. Because travel in Space is part of a collective fantasy, there are references to
literature, film and video games. By partnering with Destiny three artwork are exhibited, as well as
an exclusive interview: for the first time an Italian museum of science can display a permanent
collection of special contents related to a video game.
On display here are: the impressive Z9 - one of the three stages of the Vega launcher; the satellite
San Marco for the study of the atmosphere; the Sirius satellite for telecommunications; and some
extraordinary items related to lunar missions, including the very rare Krechet suit that would have
been worn by Russian cosmonauts in their moon-landing project, that was later abandoned. There
is also the reproduction of a portion of the International Space Station with the dome and a large
selection of the content of this unique Space laboratory. Between a countdown and a launch of
suspension satellites, visitors can relate to the innovative technologies provided by partner
companies that allow us to reach and work in Space.
In the exhibition route, 27 samsung multimedia, including full HD large screens, touch monitors
and professional tablets, lead to a better knowledge of Space and of the history of astronomy,
while simulating the observation and exploration of the Cosmos. Thanks to an Android mobile
application, exclusive multimedia content can be accessed through visitors’ mobile devices.
PRESS OFFICE
National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci of Milan
Deborah Chiodoni - Paola Cuneo
T +39 02 48555 343 / 450
C +39 339 1536030
stampa@museoscienza.it
www.museoscienza.org
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR VISITORS
National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci of Milan
Via San Vittore 21 - 20123 Milano
www.museoscienza.org | info@museoscienza.it | T 02 48 555 1
PRESS MATERIAL
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