The Space Vault Exhibition showcasing one of the UK’s largest private collections of space artefacts and lands, comes to Henley-on-Thames beginning its five year public tour at the Kirkham Gallery, River & Rowing Museum on 1st July 2024.

A once-in-a-lifetime chance to see relics of human space exploration with your own eyes and discover Oxford’s story as the centre for UK space exploration.

Using immersive visuals and unique artifacts, visitors will travel through eleven curated stories of human space exploration. The exhibition incorporates rare and historic objects brought back to Earth from the lunar surface, low-Earth orbit and outer space, from NASA’s Apollo missions and the Soviet space era to the US and Russian space shuttle programs, International Space Station and SpaceX.

Curated from the Space Vault collection, and following a successful inaugural run at the European Space Agency, the Space Vault Exhibition is commencing a five-year public tour across the UK and Europe. With Oxfordshire at the heart of the UK space industry the Exhibition is on public display in Henley-on-Thames until the end of June 2025.

Highlight objects include:

• Mission checklists that saved the crew of Apollo 13 when its oxygen tank exploded
• Commander Dave Scott’s spacesuit umbilical through which he communicated his first
  words as he stepped onto the surface of the Moon
• Evaluations conducted by Neil Armstrong of Buzz Aldrin, leading to his selection as lunar
  module pilot for the first Moon landing
• Lunar dust from the Hadley Rille landing site of Apollo 15
• The heatshield of Salyut 7, one of the largest pieces of space debris ever to fall to Earth
  and go to auction
• X-rays of Neil Armstrong’s space suit gloves just prior to launch
• Cosmonaut Nikolai Budarin’s glove from spacewalks to repair damage to the Mir space
  station, following the worst collision in the history of space
• NASA space shuttle thermal protection panel charred from re-entry to Earth
• Original Soviet/Russian Strizh spacesuit, developed for the Buran space shuttle program

The Space Vault Exhibition is complimented with an event-rich programme throughout the exhibition run. Jointly hosted by the Museum and The Space Vault Exhibition, there will be a series of public evening events which include inspiring guest speakers, exhibition tours, ‘live’ rocket launches and behind-the-vault sessions to explore the artifacts up close. Speakers include celebrated historians of human space flight, engineers working on the current Artemis.

Moon mission, phycologists who have been delivering astronaut training, designers of robotics for lunar exploration and astronomers conducting star gazing sessions.

Steve O’Connor, Director of the River & Rowing Museum, said, “We can’t wait to launch The Space Vault Exhibition at our museum. This unique exhibit offers an unparalleled opportunity for our visitors to experience the awe-inspiring history and future of space exploration up close and discover Oxfordshire’s importance in the UK space industry. Henley and the surrounding areas are rich with compelling stories and, as part of our new strategic plan, we’re committed to opening those stories up to an even broader audience.”

Dr Michael Warner, Director of The Spade Vault Exhibition said, “For anyone who has visited The Moonwalker event at the Lightroom in London, the Space Vault Exhibition takes visitors on their next step into space, bringing them up close to the actual objects that put the NASA astronauts on the surface of the Moon”.

“We are delighted that the next run of The Space Vault Exhibition is to be in Henley-on-Thames. Oxfordshire is the heart of the UK space sector, with both the European and UK space agencies located in the county, alongside the UK Space Cluster – a grouping of 30 of the UK’s fastest growing space-related companies on the Harwell Campus near Oxford”.

“In preparation for its run in Henley we have invested further in the Exhibition, with an immersive audio/visual experience, outstanding new artifacts, including ‘Vald’ our Soviet cosmonaut, and a truly unique series of guest talks and events”.

Entry to the Space Vault Exhibition is included with your River & Rowing Museum ticket. Tickets can be bought on the River & Rowing Museum website.

20% discount available for both day passes and annual passes with the Experience Henley Card. Click here for details to find out more and on how to sign up and download the app.