a space flight simulator planned for the summer of 2023 at the Cité de l’espace
The Cité de l’Espace in Toulouse will soon host equipment with the ambition of giving visitors the sensory experience of a take-off and a journey to the moon. Called “LuneXplorer”, this new attraction should be accessible in the summer of 2023.
Experience the sensations of a trip to the moon for the price of an entry to the Cité de l’espace, this is the idea of the next “LuneXplorer” equipment.
The project should enable visitors to understand the challenges of future lunar missions and to experience what astronauts physically feel during a take-off to the moon. ” The approach consists in offering visitors a rather unique immersive and sensory experience. For thirty minutes, they will be put in the conditions of astronauts “, details Jean-Luc Moudenc as president of Toulouse Métropole who is in charge of the creation of the equipment.
” This will allow the visitor to do space tourism for a small fee. It’s a unique place on the planetary level and it’s happening here in Toulouse “, adds regional councilor Thierry Cotelle.
A new building will be installed in the gardens of the Cité de l’espace to accommodate the various elements of the new attraction. The route will consist of 4 stages:
- an exhibition space to discover the evolution of rockets and spacecraft over time, from the Apollo missions of the 1960s to today’s vessels.
- a boarding area where visitors will be divided into capsules of 4 people and will discover the scenario they will have to accomplish.
- takeoff of the capsule, with countdown, acceleration phase during which budding astronauts will have to perform certain tasks such as managing the buttons or taking control of the flight, then landing on the moon.
- finally the landing hall to share his feelings and the data of the mission.
There will be no weightlessness dimension, but participants will experience phases of acceleration and deceleration that could go up to 2.5G, i.e. they will weigh up to 2 times and a half their weight.
Jean-Baptiste Desbois, director of the Cité de l’Espace
The total duration of the trip will be 30 to 40 minutes, with 8 minutes of travel in the capsule. ” It’s a great project that will boost the attractiveness of the Cité de l’Espace. For a cultural establishment for the dissemination of knowledge like this one, you must always be able to renew yourself. », designated Jean-Luc Moudenc, president of Toulouse Métropole and mayor of Toulouse.
Because the challenge is also there for the Cité de l’espace, which has regained its usual level of attendance since last summer, but remains affected by the health crisis and a year 2020 with 170,000 visitors against 400,000 by a previous one. crisis.
” With LuneXplorer, we count on 30 to 40,000 additional visitors per year, so it is an important issue of recovery and tourist attractiveness for us. explains Jean-Baptiste Desbois, director of the Cité de l’espace.
The project represents an investment of 11.8 million euros, financed in particular by the region (20%), the metropolis (40%) and the European recovery funds (40%).
This space flight simulator is expected to open to the public in July 2023.