Cité de l’espace-Toulouse: come and watch the take-off of the Artémis rocket on Saturday
Partially closed since Thursday September 1, the Cité de l’espace in Toulouse opens its doors on Saturday September 3 so that the public can come and witness the inaugural launch of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for the Artemis mission. The initial launch, which was to take place on Monday August 29, was reported following a technical incident.
To constantly adapt the quality of its equipment, the Cité de l’espace in Toulouse has planned two periods of closure for maintenance which will take place from Monday 5 to Friday 9 September inclusive, with total closure during these 5 days. From this Thursday, September 1, and until October 6 inclusive, a partial closure also takes place concerning 2 performance halls, the Imax® and the planetarium, which will be inaccessible. From Friday, October 7, the Cité de l’espace will resume all its activities and shows.
Saturday September 3 at 7:45 p.m.
But exceptionally, the Cité de l’espace will be open to the public, to watch the takeoff of the SLS rocket from the Artemis mission to the Moon this Saturday, September 3. I mark the beginning of a new space age. 53 years after man’s first steps on the moon, NASA is about to take a decisive step forward with the launch of the SLS rocket.
This first manned test flight also aims to certify as part of a round trip Earth-Moon trip the American Orion capsule equipped with its service module from the European Space Agency (ESA) partly produced by Airbus. . This is to prepare Artemis II which will send four astronauts around our natural satellite in 2024.
On site at the Cité de l’Espace, the speakers will comment live from 7:45 p.m. on this historic take-off. Among them, scientific mediators from the Cité de l’espace, Christophe Chaffardon and Nicolas Berton, will comment live on the take-off of the SLS rocket, with Jean Baptiste Desbois Director General Cité de l’espace, Philippe Perrin Astronaut Esa and Didier Schmitt Director human and robotic exploration strategy at Esa and a Cnes/ Cadmos representative whose name I am waiting for.
Broadcast video screens will be installed in the Carré de l’Actu, at the heart of the exhibitions, for the public, next to the “Moon, Episode 2” exhibition which presents the projects for a human return to the Moon. Not to mention the Apollo Lunar Module in the gardens to evoke the Apollo / Artemis differences.