It’s a surreal moment. I’m looking at Soyuz TMA-19M, the spacecraft used by Tim Peake to descend to earth from the International Space Station in June 2016. To see it in Cambridgeshire, in the magnificent surrounds of Peterborough Cathedral, is very special indeed. During its two year tour of the UK, Soyuz has been seen in museums including York, Edinburgh and Manchester. Peterborough Cathedral, however, won a competition to be a venue for the exhibition and proudly hosts the iconic capsule.
The descent module is scorched after its four-hour hurtle through space, slowing from a speed of 27,000km/hour and with temperatures reaching 1500 degrees Celsius. It’s also quite small, despite accommodating Peake plus Russian, Yuri Malenchenko and American, Tim Kopra.
I’m not the first to immediately think of the rocket that Wallace and Gromit constructed to go to the moon in the short film, A Grand Day Out. It looks so simple, with its tiny windows and seemingly low-tech buttons and levers inside. Give it some flowery wallpaper and it could easily be mistaken for a Wallace design.
The height of the cathedral allows the accompanying parachute to be properly appreciated. With a canopy area the size of two tennis courts, the billowing white and orange parachute slowed the spacecraft down from 287km to 22km per hour for its final landing in Kazakhstan.
Tim Peake’s Sokol KV-2 spacesuit is also on show for visitors but if you want to try one for size there is a fun selfie spacesuit exhibit where you can let your inner astronaut come out to play. My husband, Dougie, enjoys this immensely: no surprise there.
The exhibition is free but I highly recommend you pay £5 for the Space Descent VR, a 360 degree virtual reality experience where you can replicate the Soyuz’ return to earth. Sit back and turn freely in your chair as Tim Peake, the narrator, takes you from the countdown through to landing. It was quiet on the Friday lunchtime when we visited so we were able to buy a ticket for the next group but you can book online beforehand to reserve a place. The experience is only available for those aged 13+ and I suggest you don’t fiddle with the headset or headphones when you take your seat, if you don’t want to receive an embarrassing telling off from the guide.
The National Tour of Tim Peake’s Spacecraft, organised by Samsung and the Science Museum Group, remains in Peterborough until 5 November, before moving to Cardiff and Belfast. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to see these fascinating items of space exploration.
As we leave the cathedral, I glance again at the diagrams on the display boards and, in the centre of the drawing of the Soyuz capsule, there is the unmistakeable shape of wedge of cheese. If that’s not a clue that Wallace and Gromit had a hand in this, I don’t know what is.
This post originally appeared in my Trish Takes Five column for the Lincolnshire Free Press
Fantastic! I’m heading off next to see if it the tour is coming near us and failing that I think a half term jaunt is in order. Thank you for linking up to #CulturedKids
I hope you get the chance to go as it just feels so special to be able to see the capsule, knowing the staggering journey it completed.
Surreal, a space ship in a Cathedral! We missed this when it came Newcastle way so it’s great to vicariously visit, and it looks like it was doubly spectacular at Peterborough with the parachute included. We’re huge space fans here and have met Tim Peake but little did we know he’d had help from Wallace and Grommit!! I’m always staggered at the simplicity of these capsules, and the fact that the Soyuz itself basically hasn’t been improved on since the 50s. Scary stuff! #CulturedKids
I really think the cathedral venue was inspired. The interior did the parachute justice and the whole idea of religion and science together was fantastic.
Yes, the capsule hasn’t changed much and neither has the spacesuit – incredible!
Tim Peake is my hero! I love that man for fronting the campaign to make space real again for kids (and adults) in the UK. I’d love to see this exhibition and have a go in the suit. Cardiff is a bit of a long day trip for us but I’m off to look at the dates and see if I can come up with a plan! #CulturedKids
I really hope you get sorted for a visit – it’s well worth it and just feels so amazing to be in close proximity to the spacecraft.
That sounds so much fun, a space craft inside a Cathedral, I will try and visit it, before it moves. Thank you so much for this post. #culturekids
The location surprises people until they go inside and realise that it’s just perfect – so much space to do it justice.
This sounds absolutely amazing – what an original way to see a spacecraft. I know Robert would love the Space Descent too. I think this might be part of half-term!
#CulturedKids
Oh yes, Robert would love this. Do try and catch the exhibition if you can.
How incredible is this! And it combines science and architecture too. Wonderful. Wallace and Gromit would definitely approve. #CULTUREDKIDS
It was great to look around the cathedral too to remind myself how beautiful it is. I think Wallace and Gromit would love it!
What a great venue for it! I saw it in Edinburgh but the light levels meant they couldn’t display the parachute with it, and looking at your pictures that is a major loss. Just need to work out if I can get another visit in during its tour – and take the kids this time. I’ve introduced them to Wallace and Gromit so they’ll appreciate the references too! #CulturedKids
That’s really interesting to hear how other venues struggled with the display and yet an ancient cathedral is the ideal location. Hope you get to go again!
Oh Trish you made me laugh with the cheese! Something about seeing that capsule in an incongruous setting rather than a super shiny museum just emphasises how Wallace and Gromit’y some of mankind’s adventures really are. Tim Peake and crew are breathtakingly brave and adventurous. #culturedkids
I think the cathedral is onto something. They’ve got a ‘Museum of the Moon’ exhibition coming soon. What a great way to bring visitors into the church and provide such a fantastic backdrop for science and space exploration. I wonder if there’s more cheese 😉