If you are in Europe at least, you know Toulouse is the center of aviation and space. I have been here visiting on business trips and decided as we were there to take my sons. I like to update this educational and historical post on many wonderful institutions of aeronautics and aviation in Toulouse, Of course, this will be just an introduction, the sights are too many for one day or even less one post, We will be back eventually to our dear Toulouse for more. Therefore, here is my take on the Cité de l’Espace of Toulouse !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
This is another of the wonderful choices in Toulouse, that is going to the Cité de l’Espace. Go south a bit of the City of Toulouse on the rocade of the A61 exit/sortie 17 and follow the signs. The Cité de l’Espace at Avenue Jean Gonord is a center of scientific culture oriented towards space and space conquest, devoted as much to astronomy as to astronautics. The Cité de l’Espace was inaugurated in June 1997. If not by car there is bus no 37 stop/arrêt Cité de l’Espace that takes you from Toulouse City, Go from the gare Saint Agne train station ; take the Metro line B to Ramonville and go down to the Ramonville terminus. Take the Bus line 37 to Jolimont and go down to the Cité de l’Espace stop. Or take metro line A to Jolimont , then bus line 37, Cité de l’Espace stop.
The city of space is a unique scientific place dedicated to space conquest and astronomy. Discover real spacecraft, travel to the borders of the cosmos, admire space treasures and pierce all the secrets of space! Spotted at the tip of the Ariane 5 rocket, the Cité de l’Espace is a scientific theme park that offers More than 250 exhibition elements (moon stone, real modules from the MIR space station, the real size replicas of the Ariane 5 rocket, the lunar robot Chang’e 4, the Martian Perseverance …). Its 4,000 m² of permanent and temporary exhibitions also include an IMAX® cinema on a giant screen, 2 planetariums or even an astronomy dome. Real vessels (test models or life -size reproductions) having helped write the history of the conquest of space are installed in its 4 hectares of gardens.
The Cité de l’Espace allows you to discover the full-scale replica of the Ariane 5 rocket (53 meters high), the Soyuz spacecraft and the Earth observation satellite ERS. You can also visit an engineering model of the Mir space station with all its equipment. It is also equipped with an observation dome, La Coupole de l’Astronome. The Cité de l’Espace is also endowed with numerous exhibitions, often interactive: thus the control room makes it possible to prepare the launching of a rocket, to assist in its takeoff, its flight and then the putting into orbit of a satellite. The Terr @ dome (half a terrestrial globe 25 m in diameter) presents a quiz on extreme life on our planet. The Astralia, offers shows all day long thanks to a planetarium with 280 seats, equipped with a hemispherical screen of 600 m2 and a 300-seat IMAX cinema that projects a film on the space in relief composed of images and sequences filmed in space. For the youngest, shows are broadcast in the Stellarium, a planetarium with 130 seats. It is also used for short general shows, such as the film Astronauts.
The official Space City or Cité de l’Espace : https://en.cite-espace.com/
The Toulouse tourist office on the Cité de l’Espace : https://www.toulouse-visit.com/cite-de-l-espace/toulouse-cedex-5/loimid031fs00969
There you are folks, a whole world of aviation and aerospace awaits you in the pink city of Toulouse, These activities are fun for the whole family. You can easily spend several days here! me think. So do not think anymore Toulouse is just for old monuments, the future is here too. Again, hope you enjoy the post on the Cité de l’Espace of Toulouse as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 