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Author
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Topic: Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Manchester, United Kingdom
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spaceman
Member Posts: 1104
From: Walsall, West Midlands, UK
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 01-25-2009 03:33 PM
   
I made my way to the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester today. (The wife was in town to see the Strictly Come Dancing Tour.) Great museum, I found it hard going to do in a day and will definitely be returning... but not for the space section!The space section (part of the Air & Space Hall) consisted of a scale model of the Mir (small scale) suspended above a balcony by wires. A scale model of a Star Trek (possibly) Voyager type spacecraft and an unknown science fiction/fantasy space craft. I asked an attendant where the space section was as I had already been on the first floor to look at the models more closely. Her reply was that "if you have seen the models then you have seen the space exhibits!". Apparently they did have more but closed the section 2-3 years ago, as what they did have was tatty. I have seen this as a bit of a challenge and will be getting in touch with the management. Watch this space!! Nick
Spaceman
www.spaceboosters.co.uk P.S. They did have a small planetarium and put on a good show. Well done Naomi, a knowledgeable and entertaining presenter. |
StarDome
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posted 01-25-2009 03:52 PM
The planetarium has been there a while now, we had a planetarium conference there a few years back. The space section is very poor but it is more of an industry museum than a space museum. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 01-25-2009 04:30 PM
When I worked at MOSI back in 1995, in addition to the above, there was a Tom Stafford Gemini spacesuit on display, one of the Gemini paragliders used for testing that landing method, a flashlight flown on Apollo 11, other flown space food, and more little items. It was an impressive little gallery. My favorite item in there was the Daily Express newspaper machine that was used by Jodrell Bank to decypher the first image taken on the surface of the moon by the Soviet Luna 9 lander. Which meant that the first surface photos were published in the UK a day before the Soviets published them! I believe the Soviets were not too pleased...I agree, the rest of the museum takes much more than a day as, working back from the space era, there is a huge amount of aviation history, other engineering achievements such as a hall of steam engines, going back to the world's first passenger railway station (onsite), the age of canals (also onsite) and all the way back to the site of the Roman fort! Not many museums can cover such a sweep of science and engineering history. It was a wonderful place to work. We also had a very high-quality copy of a shuttle EVA suit, which we used to dress up teachers in when school groups visited, and use for other promotional events. |
spaceman
Member Posts: 1104
From: Walsall, West Midlands, UK
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 01-26-2009 07:04 AM
Sounds great... I wonder where all that stuff went. Or perhaps it was on temporary loan or from private collection or something. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 01-26-2009 08:34 AM
I believe it was NASA stuff, and was there for at least a decade. Perhaps that was the length of the loan. |
AFGAS
Member Posts: 89
From: Merritt Island, FL
Registered: Feb 2008
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posted 01-26-2009 04:42 PM
quote:
Originally posted by FFrench:
When I worked at MOSI back in 1995... one of the Gemini paragliders used for testing that landing method
The Gemini paraglider TTV-2 is now at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 01-26-2009 04:46 PM
Yep, that's the one. It was a very cool exhibition item.And the photos at the bottom, which look to have been taken in Manchester, also seem to show something I had forgotten - a (flown?) Apollo parachute that was also on display. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3161
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 08-08-2009 11:16 PM
The Royal Museum in Edinburgh is being renovated, but parts of it are open and accessible via the National Museum of Scotland next door, and I spotted the Gemini paraglider there. The sign lists it as on loan from the Smithsonian. |
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