Cosmonauts: Birth of the Space Age

Fantastic exhibition at the Science Museum looking at the story of Russia’s relationship with space.

The show was visually stunning with lots of fantastic objects and stories. It was brilliantly laid out with good vistas through the displays and there was always something ahead to catch the eye!

I was fascinated that it not only looked at the science but also at the philosophy of space in Russia. The 1917 revolution encouraged people to think of new worlds on earth and the Cosmos. Soon after the revolution clubs grew up which encouraged people to exchange ideas of space and there looked at the imaginative possibilities. A philosopher called Tsiokovsky imaged the science and he was followed by Korolev, who developed the science off the back of missile research.

It told the stories of the people so well with a great section on the early Cosmonauts with a particular look at Yuri Gagarin and how he was chosen for his character as well as his abilities as they realised the fame that would surround him. However it looked at the group of men who were recruited at the time and how the science developed alongside their training. I loved the one who took coloured pencils into space all tied to the box with string and a string to tie it to his wrist!

Who could resist the display on animals in space! I loved the monkey space suit and the capsule with a model dog in it!

It was also interesting to see the different approaches of the Americans and the Russians. America set a big goal, putting a man on the moon, and just concentrated on that whereas the Russians had a philosophy around what they were doing.

The last section looked at space stations which now seems so topical with Tim Peaks having gone up this week! I loved the wall of the different clothes and who can resist a space toilet! Since the excitement of a man on the moon in my childhood I have found space a bit dry as a topic but this exhibition showed you the wonder and possibilities again.

Closes 13 Mar 2016.

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