Space museums and experiences that are out of this world

As space tourism looks closer than ever to becoming a reality, there are still plenty of out-of-this world experiences you can have without leaving the planet – and for a fraction of the price, too.

From awe-inspiring museums and planetariums to stargazing spots and space camps, here are the best ways to get a slice of space life right here on Earth. As always, please be sure to check international and local COVID-19 restrictions before you travel.

Space Center Houston, Texas, USA

On every space enthusiast’s bucket list, the Space Center Houston is the ultimate extraterrestrial day out. It’s best known for being home to NASA Mission Control, where flight controllers communicate with astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS). In the museum, you’ll find more than 400 space artifacts including the world’s largest collection of moon rocks, space suits worn by some of the world’s most famous astronauts and 12 Apollo command modules.

Cité de l'espace, Toulouse, France

France’s biggest space-themed attraction is up there with the global greats. Located in Toulouse, the birthplace of France’s most historic space exploration projects, Cité de l'espace contains impressive full-scale replicas of spacecraft including the Ariane 5 space rocket and the Mir space station. There’s also a new exhibition following French astronaut Thomas Pesquet as he embarks on the Alpha Mission on board the ISS.

Space Expo, Noordwijk, Netherlands

Home to Dutch astronaut André Kuipers’ original Soyuz capsule used during the Soviet space program in the 1960s, Noordwijk’s Space Expo museum welcomes more than 100,000 visitors in a typical year. It runs an interactive “Mission at the Museum” which allows children and adults to learn firsthand what it’s like to be an astronaut through a variety of assignments.

National Space Centre, Leicester, UK

You can find the biggest planetarium in the UK at the National Space Centre in Leicester, England. Opened in 2012 by legendary astronomer Sir Patrick Moore, it offers tours of the night sky and an exhibition detailing the origins of stars. As well as the planetarium, the award-winning space city includes a Rocket Tower filled with replica Columbus Modules from the ISS, plus a spacesuit collection which features the Sokol Suit worn by British astronaut Tim Peake.

Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics, Moscow, Russia

Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first person to orbit the Earth on 12 April 1961. Twenty years later, the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics opened in Moscow to celebrate the achievements of the Soviet space program. The museum houses an impressive 85,000 items, from Yuri Gagarin’s space capsule to genuine spacesuits. There’s even two taxidermy space dogs, Belka and Strelka, who were the first creatures to survive a 24-hour space flight orbiting Earth.

Canberra Deep Space Complex, Canberra, Australia

The Deep Space Complex just outside of Australia’s capital is one of just three in the world. Together with those in central Spain and California, its antennas send and receive signals to more than 30 spacecraft exploring the sun, moon, Mars and other planets and comets in the solar system. The site has heralded many landmark discoveries, including receiving the first close-up pictures of Mars’ surface in 1965. Adjoining the complex is a museum which educates visitors about Australia’s role in space exploration.

Tanegashima Space Center, Japan

For space fans visiting Japan, the Tanegashima Space Center is not to be missed. The largest rocket-launching facility in the country, it’s where take-off, development and assembly of Japan’s space program takes place. What’s more, with its stunning location on the island of Tanegashima, in the country’s southernmost Kagoshima Prefecture, it’s arguably one of the most beautiful rocket-launch sites in the world. There’s a free museum which covers the history of Japan’s space program and the space center complex typically runs guided tours.

University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory, New Zealand

To experience the night sky at its clearest, the Dark Sky Reserve at Lake Tekapo on New Zealand’s South Island is unparalleled. By day, visitors can learn about astronomy through an interactive, multimedia exhibit. When night falls, the Summit Experience at the University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory offers the opportunity to gaze at the stars in one of the most unpolluted spots on Earth, using the site’s six-foot (1.8m) telescope, while gaining insight from expert guides.

Technik Museum Speyer, Germany

Home to the largest space exhibition in Europe, Technik Museum Speyer’s 538,000 square feet (5,000sqm) of exhibition space tells visitors the story of space exploration from the 1960s to today. Situated in Speyer in southwestern Germany, one of its biggest highlights is a prototype of the Russian space shuttle BURAN, which was part of one of the Soviet Union’s most ambitious space exploration projects. There’s also a moon-themed area which includes replicas of Apollo lunar vehicles and an incredible 3.4 billion-year-old moon rock.

L’Hemisfèric, Valencia, Spain

Housed inside a spectacular curved dome designed to look like an eye, l’Hemisfèric is one of Valencia’s premier attractions. Inside the eye – acting as a kind of “pupil” – is an IMAX dome, which features a 9,000-plus square foot (900sqm) concave screen housing three projectors. As well as showing films on IMAX and 3D screens, the dome hosts frequent astronomical shows, where visitors can learn all about the stars, black holes and galaxies.

There are still a lot of great space museums around the world. Is there another one that would like to see on our list?

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Story adapted from msn.com