Space Museum

Museum Address
St Mary Magdalene Church, VSSC, Thumba
City
Trivandrum
State
Kerala
Pin Code
695022
Phone Number
0471-2562275
Museum website
www.vssc.gov.in
When was the museum established?
1985
Main category
Science
Briefly describe the history of the museum, its collection and donors.

Set up in the church of St. Magdelene near the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) compound, the Space Museum shows the story of the Indian space programme in six sections comprising of history, education, technology, applications, global, and the future. The exhibits include the various parts of a space shuttle with detailed descriptions of how it is used. Models of all the space shuttles that were created in India are found in the museum with information about the year of making, people associated, the purpose and the status of the launch. The models are placed chronologically which allows one to understand the space history of the nation. A full-scale space suit can also be found among the displays. 

A movie theatre with a surround-sound system screens specially tailored movies on the Indian space programme. The museum has been infused into the church in such a way that the altar has been preserved and becomes the central division of the museum, allowing one to enjoy the architecture too. The 'future of space' makes up the last stages of the museum. Scientific artefacts of interest include full-scale models of the PSLV, PSLV heat shield and scaled down models of the GSLV, GSLV Mk-III and ATV.

Visitors can also witness the sounding rocket launches which usually happen every Wednesday. 

Photography
No
Videography
No
Cafeteria
No
Museum shop
No
Wheelchair friendly
No
Restroom
Yes
Drinking water
Yes
Locker room
No
Parking
Yes
Information in Braille
No
Workshops/seminars/lectures
No
Garden/picnic area
No
Audio/visual guides
No
Guided tours
Yes
Library and archives services
No
IT facilities ( Photocopying, printing, computer )
No
Auditorium
No
Conference/ Seminar hall
No
Museum membership
No
Conservation lab
No
Research lab
No
Who manages the museum?
Central Government
Others:
Indian Space Research Organisation
Person-in-charge of the museum
Director
First Name
S Somanath
Additional information ( if any)
Although there is no fee for entry, permission for a visit has to be obtained from the official VSSC website after which one has to pass through a security checkpoint. Please note that no kind of electronic devices are allowed inside the VSSC compound and must be kept for safekeeping at the checkpoint/entry point. Foreign visitors will have to obtain a special entry permit from Public Relations, subject to approval by the Director of VSSC.
Reference Link
http://wikimapia.org/13587492/Space-museum
What is the average duration to see the museum?
1-2 hours
Map your museum’s correct location on the map given below.

8.5368438737227, 76.867260932922

Is the museum currently closed?
No
Image for museum exterior/building
Canal Gate
Gallery Images
Image
Description of the Image

The canal gate leads to an area which has a checkpoint for vehicles to pass through. This road leads to the seashore which houses the Space Museum and the rocket launching area.

Image title
Road leading to the Rocket Launching Station and the Space Museum
Image
Description of the Image

The VSSC compound is an area of tight security and rules are quite strict.

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Entrance area notification board
Entry Fee
Not Applicable
Getting there
ISRO Junction (Bus Stop): 1.5km
Trivandrum Railway Station: 25km
Trivandrum airport: 30km
Opening Days
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Public holidays
Opening Time
10:00 a.m.
Closing Time
04:00 p.m.