BRITAIN’S National Space Centre will mark its 25th birthday next week with the launch of an extraordinary new gallery experience that promises to be, quite literally, out of this world.

At the heart of the celebrations will be the new Outer Solar System Experience, an immersive space where visitors can step beyond the asteroid belt and explore distant worlds.

The new area will allow visitors to interact with some of the most fascinating phenomena in our cosmic neighbourhood, from encountering a comet to creating their own lifeforms.

The Tuesday June 30 launch also marks the re-opening of the updated Our Solar System gallery, which has been given a facelift with new interactive exhibits and displays, after being closed for several months.

To ensure as many people as possible can be part of the milestone moment, the National Space Centre has designated the opening as a Pay What You Can Day to support those facing financial challenges.

The initiative allows visitors to enjoy a full day out at a price they can afford but be aware that the special admission facility will be available only on the door on June 30, with advance tickets priced at standard rates.

Zachary and friend

I visited the Centre, just two miles North of Leicester city centre, in April of this year, with my wife and our 14-year-old grandson Zachary, who loves science and space exploration. It more than lived up to expectations.

It’s certainly impressive from the outside, looking like something out of a 1970s sci-fi movie with its huge ‘bubble-wrapped’ tower. While it’s fairly compact inside, it turns out to be like Dr Who’s TARDIS.

Clever planning of galleries and attractions spread over the floorspace and the several storeys of the 42-metre high Rocket Tower means that they’ve managed to cram a lot in – and all of it is fascinating.

Allow at least half a day. Even though the Solar System gallery was closed for refurbishment on our visit, we still spent the best part of six hours looking round the Centre, taking in a planetarium show and enjoying lunch at Boosters Café.

We were there at the same time that the NASA Artemis astronauts were orbiting the dark side of the Moon, and there were several references to what was going on in real time, plus a free pop-up talk about the practicalities and potential of the lunar mission.

As you enter, you’re greeted by the sight of Soyuz and Gemini modules hanging from the ceiling, highlighting the Soviet-US Space Race and the steps taken that would lead to the iconic Apollo 11 moon landing.

There are spacesuits galore, from a 1940s prototype that wouldn’t be out of place in a Star Wars movie, to the most recent designs, including those worn by the likes of British astronauts Tim Peake and Helen Sharman.

You can walk through a life-sized replica of a section of the International Space Station, see satellites and lunar rovers, explore the lunar surface, and there are several interactive mission challenges that all ages can enjoy.

The Tetrastar Spaceport simulator ride, built at a cost of £2.8 million, is a 20-minute experience in which you’re flown into low Earth orbit, only to find out you’re accidentally on a rescue mission to Mars. You must survive a disaster, retrieve specimens and escape back to Earth.

Everywhere you look, there’s all manner of memorabilia, including the US customs form the Apollo 11 crew bizarrely had to complete because they were bringing samples of moon rock back to Earth!

Often, it’s the smaller items that surprise. Tim Peake’s canned bacon sarnie; the vacuum-packed M&Ms; the meteorite from Mars; the space toilet – and we all know how tricky that can be after the mishaps that befell the Artemis crew.

Highlights, however, include the Rocket Tower which houses the British Blue Streak and American Thor Able rockets. You can climb the steps – there are one hundred and forty-four of them! – or take the lift to each floor.

As you climb, the exhibits in the tower tell the story our fascination for the Moon, from the 1902 French silent movie A Trip To The Moon up to the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 and beyond. There’s plenty to see and do here, and it’s an attraction in its own right.

We spent the morning looking round the galleries, then headed for a planetarium show – one is included in the price of the admission ticket – then broke for lunch before tackling the Tower.

The Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium – it’s the largest in the UK – is breathtaking, with full-dome projection thoroughly immersing you in the action. We watched One Step Beyond, a blend of CGI and real video, taking visitors on the much-anticipated mission to Mars.

There are several other shows, ranging from guided tours of the night sky to solar system adventures, a moon landing and more. Special, separately priced, events in this spectacular setting have included a recent evening screening of rock band Queen’s greatest hits.

The June 30 additions to the attraction will make the National Space Centre even more of a ‘must-see’ location for family days out during the long school summer holidays. My advice is to book well in advance because time-slots will fill up rapidly as the break approaches.

Oh, and be warned, there’s a souvenir shop! Of course there is.

I paid for my tickets, and have no affiliation with the National Space Centre, so this is an independent review.

NEED TO KNOW

• For opening hours, special events (there’s a Star Wars themed festival on July 4 & 5!) and bookings, launch the official National Space Centre website. You’ll also learn how to change your ticket into an annual pass for return visits at no extra cost for 12 months.