National Space Centre
National Space Centre, Leicester | |
Former name | National Space Science Centre |
|---|---|
| Established | 30 June 2001 |
| Location | Belgrave, Leicester LE4 5NS |
| Coordinates | 52°39′13″N 01°07′56″W / 52.65361°N 1.13222°W |
| Type | Space (and aerospace) museum |
| Visitors | 330,000 (2016) |
| Curator | Dan Kendall |
| Architect | Nicholas Grimshaw |
| Employees | 189 |
| Public transit access | First Bus 54 |
| Website | spacecentre.co.uk |
The National Space Centre is a museum and educational resource covering the fields of space science and astronomy, along with a space research programme in partnership with the University of Leicester. It is located on the north side of the city in Belgrave, Leicester, England, next to Space Park Leicester and the River Soar. Many of the exhibits, including upright rockets are housed in a tower with minimal steel supports and a semi-transparent cladding of ETFE 'pillows', which has become one of Leicester's most recognisable landmarks. The National Space Centre contains the United Kingdom's largest planetarium. It is a registered charity with a board of trustees.