Exploring Space at Science Museum

NOTE FOR IMPORT: The original Exploring Space gallery closed in April 2025. It was replaced by the new Space gallery, which opened 20 September 2025 in the museum’s West Hall. This description covers the current Space gallery — the listing name may need updating to reflect the change. The Science Museum’s Space gallery brings together two human-flown spacecraft displayed side by side in a world first: the Apollo 10 command module, scorched from its 1969 lunar orbit, alongside a Soyuz descent capsule that carried crews to the International Space Station. Guests at evening events circulate among objects including Neil Armstrong’s radio headset from the Apollo 11 mission, the Sokol spacesuit worn by Helen Sharman — the first Briton in space — a three-billion-year-old piece of the Moon brought back by Apollo 15, and cutting-edge UK space sector prototypes including Magdrive propulsion technology never previously displayed. Four hundred standing, 200 seated for dinner.

Evening Events in the Science Museum’s Space Gallery

The gallery occupies the museum’s West Hall on the ground floor, adjacent to the IMAX: Ronson Theatre. These aren’t replicas or reproductions — guests interact with objects that have physically orbited the Moon, docked with the International Space Station, and returned from missions that defined the twentieth century. That authenticity creates sustained wonder and engagement without any additional programming required. Drinks receptions for up to 400 use the spacecraft and artefacts as built-in talking points that generate the kind of organic conversation that structured networking activities attempt but rarely achieve with the same effectiveness. Seated dinners for 200 place guests directly among the exhibits. The centrepiece Science on a Sphere installation — a large globe displaying projected solar system data and imagery narrated by Helen Sharman — adds a contemporary interactive element alongside the historic artefacts, grounding the gallery in present-day space science as well as heritage.

The Space Gallery for Product Launches and Corporate Events

Product launches wanting association with achievement and discovery find a backdrop that no commercial event space can manufacture. Aerospace and technology brands align naturally with the collection, but the emotional resonance of space exploration extends well beyond sector-specific events — there’s a universality to the subject that connects with any audience regardless of industry. Christmas parties, corporate receptions, and milestone celebrations gain a setting where personal wonder meets institutional credibility. The gallery’s mix of iconic heritage objects and cutting-edge UK space technology creates a narrative from past achievement to future ambition that works well for brands positioning themselves at the frontier of their industry. The newer objects — prototype propulsion systems, LEV-2 lunar rover — show that the gallery is about where we’re going as much as where we’ve been.

Combining the Science Museum’s Space Gallery with IMAX

The Space gallery’s adjacency to IMAX: The Ronson Theatre creates one of the museum’s most compelling multi-space pairings. A 414-seat cinematic presentation — product launch, keynote address, or immersive film screening on a screen the size of four double-decker buses — followed by reception among actual spacecraft. The format has obvious appeal for science, technology, and aerospace events, but it’s equally effective for any corporate event where the presentation needs cinematic scale and the networking needs atmosphere that only genuine artefacts provide.

Practical Details for Science Museum Space Gallery Hire

Evening hire only. Accredited suppliers — Moving Venue for catering, White Light for AV. Alcohol licence until 23:00 with extension available. The gallery forms part of the museum’s reimagined ground floor and can be included in full museum exclusive hire on limited dates accommodating 1,500-plus guests. The gallery opened in September 2025, replacing the former Exploring Space gallery that closed after four decades.