Zero Gravity Space Lab
Zero Gravity Space Lab


Sokol KV-2 spacesuit

exhibition example

Powerhouse publications
linkSpace Australia: the story of Australia's involvement in space

Banner image courtesy of NASA


What’s it like to live and work in the weightless environment of space? What do astronauts eat? How do they sleep? And how do they go to the bathroom?

Find out all the answers in the Space exhibition, now more exciting than ever with new displays and a new installation, the Zero Gravity Space Lab where you can experience the illusion of weightlessness.

The Space Lab is the highlight of the ‘Living and working in space’ section where Australian astronaut Dr Andy Thomas and his wife and fellow astronaut Dr Shannon Walker guide you through a visit to the International Space Station (ISS).

The journey begins in the space shuttle, with Andy and Shannon talking from Mission Control Houston about what it’s like to live and work on the ISS. You then move into the habitation module, based on a prototype design for the ISS, where you can see how astronauts spend their time when they’re not working. Here all your questions about daily activities in space such as sleeping, preparing meals, eating, washing, staying in shape and even going to the loo are answered!

The next stop is the Zero Gravity Space Lab, unique to the Powerhouse Museum in Australia. Using special effects, this replica space lab creates the illusion of weightlessness associated with microgravity. This is accompanied by commentary from Andy Thomas about the research work carried out on the ISS and why it is important to people back on Earth.

The Space gallery still retains many old favourites, such as the life-size replica of the forward section of the space shuttle, an early rocket made by the pioneering scientist Robert Goddard, images from the ‘space race’ and an actual Moon rock, on loan from NASA.  Plus suspended above you is an amazing collection of satellites and other spacecraft, including one of the world’s largest rocket motors and a model of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik-1.

These are joined by a collection of new artefacts from the Museum’s collection, many not previously seen, including a Soviet flightsuit, a spacesuit and spacecraft emergency equipment, as well as material recovered from the Woomera Rocket Range in South Australia.   

All sections feature an amazing display of images showing early space flights and space walks, the shuttle and the ISS, satellites and launch vehicles, and photos from the outer reaches of the solar system taken by robotic space probes.

 

exhibition panorama
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Education materials
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Talks After Noon

Sunday 6 July, 2pm
Mission Space: living and working in space
Jeanette Rothapfel, Space Educator
Jeanette Rothapfel, founder of the NSW School of Space Science, works with NASA scientists and astronauts and has the honour of being invited by Dr Andrew Thomas to all his space shuttle launches. Her visual presentation describes the astronaut crew’s preparation and participation in a space shuttle mission featuring the dangers of the launch, the hazards, pleasures and excitement of life in space, the perilous orbiter re-entry and images of famous places from space. Jeanette is the only private individual in the world to be entrusted with a long-term loan of NASA’s priceless moon rock samples. These six small but genuine artefacts of Apollo 15, 16 and 17 moon landings and national treasure of the USA will be available for observation during her talk.

Wednesday 9 July
Writing Space History
Colin Burgess, Space historian and author
At the age of 14, Colin Burgess became absorbed in the ongoing efforts to launch Mercury astronaut John Glenn into orbit, and this would propel him into what he readily nominates as “the interest and fascination of a lifetime.” Colin Burgess is an acclaimed space historian and author. His highly-praised and popular books include stories about space exploration, biographies on people such as Teacher-in-Space Christa McAuliffe and Australia’s astronauts, and on aviation humor. In this talk, Colin will relate his experience and journey as a writer and how - by intertwining his boyhood interest with writing on the subject - he ended up meeting people and experience things he would never have dared to dream of as a youngster growing up in Australia during the Space Race to the Moon.

Wednesday 16 July, 12.30pm
NASA: From the Earth to the Moon
Kerrie Dougherty, Curator, Space Technology
On July 16, 1958, the US Congress passed the bill that would authorise the creation of NASA., the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, America’s space agency. Exactly 11 years later, Apollo 11, the first crewed lunar landing mission, would lift-off on its historic voyage to the Moon. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of NASA, this talk will outline the creation of the space agency, its early space programs and its response to President Kennedy’s 1961 challenge to “land a man on the Moon before this decade is out”, which resulted in the Apollo lunar program. This presentation is the first in a series of talks over the next 12 months, outlining the development of the Apollo program, that will culminate in July 2009 with the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.

Sunday 30 August, 2pm
Observing the Invisible Milky Way,
Dr Naomi McClure Griffiths, Powerhouse Wizard
Most of us are familiar with the Milky Way as the great swathe of stars and dust that stretches across the night sky.  But there's much more to the Milky Way than what we see with the eye!  In this talk Dr McClure-Griffiths will take you on a walk through the Milky Way as seen by Australia's radio telescopes.
Part of Ultimo Science Festival