Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

Memorial Museum of Space Exploration photo by Mikhail Wikimedia 

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is also known as the Memorial Museum of Astronautics or Memorial Museum of Space Exploration. It is a museum in Moscow, Russia.

It was dedicated to space exploration. It is located within the base of the Monument to the Conquerors of Space in the north-east of the city.The museum contains a wide variety of Soviet and Russian space-related exhibits and models.

That explore the history of flight , astronomy, space exploration, space technology and space in the arts. According to the Russian tourist board, the museum’s collection holds approximately 85,000 different items and receives approximately 300,000 visitors years.

Here are Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics

1. The museum’s collection holds approximately 85,000 different items

Space museum photo by L-BBE Wikimedia 

The museum contains a wide variety of Soviet and Russian space-related exhibits and models. That explores the he history of flight Including the astronomy, space exploration, space technology, and space in the arts.

2. It was reopened after three years of reconstruction

The museum was reopened on Cosmonautics Day, 2009. This was after three years of reconstruction. It has virtually tripled its original size and has added new sections dedicated to space programs worldwide. Including the USA, Europe, China and the International Space Station.

It’s now features original interactive exhibits, as well as a refurbished promenade, the sculpture-lined Cosmonauts Alley which connects the museum to the Moscow metro.

3. The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics’ Architecture

Space memorial photo by Pantsyrev Wikimedia 

The renewed museum is situated in the area of 8500 square meters, 4000 of which is given to exhibition.

The monument is made of polished titanium, which is used in rocket engineering. The upper part of the monument is unique engineering construction with a height of 110 meters and an angle of slope of 77 degrees.

4. It was the first space station Museum

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is the first museum in the world. It was dedicated to the history of space exploration. The memorial museum was opened on 3 October 1967 in Kaluga.

The driving force behind the creation of the museum was Sergei Korolyov, chief designer of RKK Energiya. The building was designed by Boris Barkhin, Evgeny Kireev, Nataliya Orlova, Valentin Strogy and Kirill Fomin, and the cornerstone was laid by Yuri Gagarin on 13 June 1961.

5. The museum has various displays trace the history of space exploration

Memorial Museum of Space Exploration “Man on the Мoon!” exhibition photo by Mikhail Wikimedia 

It has the traces of History the first satellite of Sputnik. It was launched in 1957,the first dogs in space, the first human flights, and the first spacewalk.

The other original exhibits include the spacesuit of Alexei Leonov, in which he walked in space; space dogs Belka and Strelka (preserved by taxidermy). A Soyuz spacecraft descent module; the outfit and ejection seat of pilot Igor Volkov.

Including the ‘flying chair’ designed for cosmonauts moving in outer space; and the military uniform and leather coat of Sergey Korolev.

6. It receives approximately 300,000 visitors yearly

The Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics is open Tuesday through Sunday. It’s popular among Russian tourists and lines can be long, especially on weekends. Come midweek for a quieter experience.

The museum tour takes visitors on an interesting journey. Allowing them to discover numerous original pieces that were used in space travel throughout history.

Including the first Sputnik (artificial satellite), the first Soviet rocket engine and the moon rover Lunokhod. An approximation of 300,000 visitors visit the museum yearly.

7. The Museum of Cosmonautics is one of the largest research and technology museums in the world

It considered as one of the largest research and technology museum in the world. The museum is located on the ground floor of the Monument to Conquerors of Space

In the museum, you can see exhibits testifying the first achievements and success of national space exploration. Including the first spacesuits, the first artificial satellites of the Earth, spacecraft for Moon exploration and exploration of other planets of the solar system.

The renovation of the museum in 2006-2009 made the exhibition space is now four times larger than it used to be. Currently the display comprises eight exhibition halls, a cinema, and a conference hall.

8. It was designed by architects Alexander Kolchin and Mikhail Barsch, engineer Lev Shchipakin, and sculptor Andrey Fajdysh-Krandievsky

The Monument to the Conquerors of Space was erected in 1964 . It was the design of architects Alexander Kolchin and Mikhail Barsch, engineer Lev Shchipakin, and sculptor Andrey Fajdysh-Krandievsky.

It is a 107-metre high titanium coated obelisk in the form of an arrow reaching up to the sky. The top of the arrow is capped with a rocket lit by the sun

9.The monument symbolized all the hard work and effort put into the first manned space flight

It launch the first of the world artificial Earth satellite. 1957, Sputnik 1 successfully launched and entered Earth’s orbit. Thus, began the space age. The successful launch shocked the world, giving the former Soviet Union the distinction of putting the first human-made object into space.

The word ‘Sputnik’ originally meant ‘fellow traveler,’ but has become synonymous with ‘satellite’ in modern Russian. This historic image shows a technician putting the finishing touches on Sputnik 1, humanity’s first artificial satellite.

The pressurized sphere made of aluminum alloy had five primary scientific objectives: Test the method of placing an artificial satellite into Earth orbit; provide information on the density of the atmosphere by calculating its lifetime in orbit; test radio and optical methods of orbital tracking.

 Also to  determine the effects of radio wave propagation though the atmosphere; and, check principles of pressurization used on the satellites.

10. The memorial museum of Cosmonautics was named after Konstantin Tsiolkovsk

He was the school master and rocket science pioneer. Konstantin lived most of his life in this city.In 1936, after he’d died ,the property was converted into a museum in his honor.

Soviet physicist and academic M.E. Tulchinskiy completed a tenure as director of the Tsiolkovsky Memorial House. He was researching Tsiolkovsky’s notes in preparation for a book on the reclusive scientist’s life, but he died before he could complete it.