The BIS, through its Education and Outreach Committee, works with partners to develop our own resources, as well as being able to sign-post you to fantastic activities from others, and inform you of inspiring places to visit.
Places to Visit – UK
The National Space Centre offers a host of fascinating exhibits, including a Soyuz spacecraft, a display of spacesuits (including the BIS Moon Suit), and the acceleration couch used by Britain’s first astronaut, Helen Sharman, with Blue Streak and Thor missiles in the iconic Rocket Tower.
Exploration Drive, Leicester, LE4 5NS
The Science Museum has a Space Galllery, with a full-size mock-up of the Apollo 11 Eagle Lunar Module in which Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the Moon, and with two rockets, an American Scout and a British Black Arrow, hanging from the ceiling. There is a display about the British Skylark rocket, which was assembled with the help of BIS Fellow Robin Brand, and a model of the cabin of the post-War BIS Moonship, built by BIS member N R Nicoll. Also on display is the Soyuz capsule in which British astronaut Tim Peake travelled to the International Space Station, as well as a life-sized model of Bepi-Columbo.
Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 2DD
The Imperial War Museum has a number of items of astronautical interest, such as a 40% aerodynamic test model of the Blue Steel stand-off missile, a weapon system designed to enable the V-bombers of the Royal Air Force to deliver nuclear bombs to their targets – one of the two rocket motors propelling these missiles was developed into the “Gamma” rocket engines that powered Black Knight and Black Arrow. The most spectacular item, however, is the complete German V-2 missile, stood on its tail next to the balconies, with portions of the skin removed to enable you to see interior detail. This remarkable missile was, in many ways, the forerunner of the large rocket vehicles of the “Space Race” era, despite the fact that it rained down death on London in the last months of the Second World War.
Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ
IWM Duxford is the Duxford branch of the Imperial War Museum has an actual example of a Blue Steel, an impressive 10.7 metres long, and also has an example of the Vulcan bomber from which it was launched. The missile used hydrogen peroxide as an oxidiser; a mere splash on one’s clothing could start a fire.
Duxford Airfield, Building 425, Cambridge CB22 4QR
The Royal Observatory Greenwich has too many interesting items to list! The Prime Meridian -where the whole world takes its time – is outside the Observatory, in a courtyard with breathtaking views of London.
Inside are such fascinating exhibits as the Harrison clocks, which enabled ships to determine their longitude for the first time, and the Great Equatorial Telescope.
The Chronometer House contains a collection of beautiful instruments, which were vital for accurate navigation; all ship’s captains used to visit Greenwich before departure to synchronise their chronometers.
The John Harrison Planetarium is now the only one in London, offering a variety of spectacular shows. The design of the Planetarium building is of interest in itself; the building is in the shape of a cone, with the north side lined up with the zenith (straight up) at Greenwich, and the south side, which slopes, pointing towards the Pole star, Polaris. The angle of slope of the cone is parallel to the celestial equator, and the whole planetarium is lined up with the north-south line.
Should you want some refreshment, the Astronomy Café & Terrace is open on weekends and school holidays to Planetarium ticket holders; the Terrace offers superb views of Greenwich Park, and outside the café, on Gagarin Terrace, is a statue of Yuri Gagarin, unveiled in 2013 by his daughter, Elena Gagarina.
Blackheath Ave, Greenwich, London SE10 8XJ
The RAF Museum Cosford has, amongst its many exhibits, an example of a Thor Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM), a weapon deployed in Britain under “dual key” RAF/USAF control from 1959 to 1963. The missile was later developed into a satellite launching vehicle, as the Thor-Ablestar, Thor-Agena, and Thor-Delta.
Shifnal, Shropshire, TF11 8UP
The Royal Gunpowder Mills has many exhibits of interest to the space enthusiast in their Rocket Vault, including the two-chamber Stentor rocket motor that powered the Blue Steel missile, the smaller chamber of which was developed into the Gamma engine used on the Black Knight and Black Arrow rockets. An example of the Waxwing solid motor that propelled the third stage of Black Arrow, which used a unique solid propellant developed at the Royal Gunpowder Mills when the site was a working establishment.
Beaulieu Drive, Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 1JY
Educational Partner Resources
Please note: The following links are to external websites, and whilst every effort has been made to ensure their content is appropriate and safe, the BIS cannot guarantee your safety, and is not responsible for external links and their content.
Build your own model Satellites
- Build your own spacecraft (NASA)
- Build your own Aeolus (ESA)
- Build your own Rosetta (ESA – opens as PDF)
- Airbus Activities
- As Creatives – creative learning programmes for children and young people.
- The National Schools Observatory – providing schools in the UK and
- Liverpool Telescope
- Faulkes Telescope Project
- CASSiE (Cosmic Ambassador for Space Science & Engineering) – A Cosmic Hedgehog (STEM Mascot) – for use in Primary schools to enhance Space Science and STEM engagement.
BIS Educational Resources
The BIS is also the official World Space Week National Coordinator for the United Kingdom, overseen by the Education and Outreach Committee, who create and connect resources every year connected with the annual WSW theme.
Annually, between October 4-10, WSW is celebrated across the world.
Below are BIS space activities and resources, which have been produced for the different themes.
Please keep checking back to this page for Annual Theme-related links and downloads.
OR Direct download the BIS WSW2022 Our Planet and Satellite Science PowerPoint file.
ABOUT THE RESOURCE:
Developed by a member of the BIS Education and Outreach Committee in collaboration with Camilla Evans, the STEM Lead Communicator at Wishford School, this resource takes you through the space technology, right above our heads, and how it informs us of our planet’s activity every day.
Learn more about the fleet and what it records, and consider how this information informs us about our world’s climate.
Please note: The following links are to external websites, and whilst every effort has been made to ensure their content is appropriate, the BIS cannot guarantee this.
All external content will open in a new browser tab.
Information about UK Leadership in Sustainable Space (UK Government)
UK’s National Space Strategy (UK Government)
Space Sustainability Rating (World Economic Forum)
Sustainable Space (Airbus)
The WSWUK YouTube Channel includes uploads of Celebrity Space Quizzes and other useful information about how to register your WSW event.
Space Presentor and BIS Fellow, Jerry Stone, creates an annual wordsearch based on the Annual World Space Week theme for the BIS.
Download his wordsearches below:
We are always looking to build this resource section, through internal and external collaborations and support.
Please contact us with suggestions and/or submissions for Space Places to Visit around the Globe, Free-to-use Educational Resources, Lesson Plans and Activities, FREE Educational resource links, etc.