Contemporary · Architecture

City of Space

Toulouse

City of Space is a scientific culture center in Toulouse focused on space and space conquest. Dedicated to astronomy and astronautics, it was created through an initiative of the Toulouse city hall with the support of many partners, including the Midi-Pyrénées regional council, several ministries, CNES, Météo-France, and EADS Astrium. The site was inaugurated on an unspecified date and later recorded its 8 millionth visitor on an unspecified date. Its exhibits include a life-size model of the Ariane 5 rocket, 53 meters high, as well as the Soyuz capsule in the outdoor space garden. The collection also features an Apollo lunar module replica, the Chang'e 4 lunar rover, the XMM-Newton space telescope, the Sentinel Earth observation satellite, moon stones, Martian meteorites, and an engineering model of the Mir space station with original equipment. Permanent thematic exhibitions present the history of manned space flights, astronaut life in orbit, simulated mission control centers, an interactive solar system journey, Earth-observing satellites, and the technical challenges of contemporary lunar exploration.

Map showing the location of City of Space in Toulouse
Location of City of Space in Toulouse

Nearby Objects

Scientific Culture Center in Toulouse

The City of Space is a scientific culture center in Toulouse focused on space and space conquest. It is devoted to astronomy and astronautics, and was created through an initiative of the Toulouse city hall with the support of many partners. These partners include the Midi-Pyrenees regional council, the ministries of Equipment, Transport, Defense, National Education, Research and Technology, the Centre national d'etudes spatiales (CNES), Meteo-France, and EADS Astrium. The center was inaugurated on a date not specified in the available facts. It later recorded its 8 millionth visitor on a date that is also not specified.

Exhibition Spaces and Spaceflight Heritage

La visite brings together a wide range of space-related objects and themed displays. Its outdoor space garden includes the Soyuz capsule, the Chang'e 4 lunar rover, and a life-size model of the Ariane 5 rocket, which stands 53 meters high. The exhibitions also feature the Apollo lunar module replica, the XMM-Newton space telescope, and the Sentinel Earth observation satellite. In addition, visitors can see moon stones and Martian meteorites, along with lunar stones from Apollo 15 and Martian samples brought by Thomas Pesquet during mission Proxima.

The site places strong emphasis on human spaceflight and the practical conditions of life in orbit. It includes an engineering model of the Mir space station with all original equipment and offers immersion into the history of manned space flights and astronaut living conditions in orbit. Permanent thematic exhibitions extend this approach through Le Carrer de l'Actu, which simulates ISS and Artemis missions control centers, and Le Quai du Systeme Solaire, an interactive journey through the solar system that includes a lunar jeep simulator.

Another part, Vaisseau Terre, is dedicated to satellites observing Earth and tracking climate changes. The exhibition Lune episode II highlights the technical challenges of contemporary lunar exploration. Together, these elements present La visite as a site focused on space history, scientific equipment, and the public presentation of exploration missions.

Interior Attractions and Visitor Facilities

La visite includes several visitor-focused installations and event spaces. It contains an IMAX cinema and a 280-seat planetarium with a hemispherical screen. It also offers spectacles for children in the Stellarium, a 130-seat planetarium. The site provides numerous immersive animations and experiences for all ages, including the LuneXplorer attraction, which is described as unique in Europe. In addition to its public attractions, La visite contains several seminar rooms, indicating a role for both leisure and meetings.

Management and Development

The City of Space has been shaped by a series of management and organizational changes. Direction was directed by Jean-Michel Oberto at the Cite de l'espace, and this direction led the launch of the exploitation teams between 1995 and 1997. It was later directed by Bernard Burel until 2010. New project design and developments are now under the responsibility of the Direction des Expositions, led by Marc Moutin, while mediation, events, and new animations fall under the Direction des Publics, directed by Philippe Droneau. The role of Director General was held temporarily by Bernard Reilhac, who was also Director of Marketing, before Jean Baptiste Desbois arrived. Jean Baptiste Desbois then served as Director General until an unspecified date, and Arnaud Mounier has led the Cite de l'espace as Director General since an unspecified date.