Embark on a journey through space: The Space Vault Exhibition comes to Henley on Thames

The Space Vault Exhibition will showcase one of the UK’s largest private collections of space artefacts, and lands in the River & Rowing Museum’s Kirkham Gallery on 1 July 2024.

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.

After a highly successful inaugural run at the European Space Agency near Oxford, the Exhibition is now embarking on a five-year public tour across the UK and Europe, beginning at the River & Rowing Museum.

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”.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

 About the River & Rowing Museum

The River & Rowing Museum, designed by architect Sir David Chipperfield, was opened in 1998 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The Museum won the Royal Fine Art Commission’s Building of the Year in the UK and the National Heritage Museum of the Year in 1999.

The Museum has five permanent galleries:

  • River: Dive into stories of the mighty, yet ecologically fragile, river Learn more about the wildlife that calls it home, the landscapes and livelihoods it has shaped and the art and culture it has inspired.
  • Rowing: Unleash your inner Olympian with hands-on and interactive exhibits that immerse you in the Olympic sport of rowing from its historical roots to the international sport it is
  • John Piper: The River & Rowing Museum has the UK’s only dedicated gallery to the work of celebrated Modern British artist, and Henley local, John Experience first- hand his artistic versatility; from painting and drawing to stained glass and ceramics.
  • Henley: Learn about the history of our famous town. From Stone Age settlements to river life and rowing regattas, the history of Henley is told through objects as diverse as Iron Age hoards to steam launches and paintings – including Jan Siebrecht’s Henley from the Wargrave Roadpainted in
  • The Wind in the Willows: A perfect introduction to Kenneth Grahame’s famous story The Wind in the Willows for children and adults alike. The famous tale

of friendship between four riverbank companions is retold in theatrical 3D, with a magical soundscape for all the family.

About The Space Vault Exhibition

The Space Vault is one of the UK’s largest private collections of artifacts from human space exploration, built up over 12 years. Its mission is to curate exhibitions, loan artifacts and provide inspiring talks with the purpose of utilising the collection to excite and educate.

Artifacts in the collection have been acquired from reputable auction houses or directly from astronauts and others working in the space sector. All artifacts are supported by provenance verifying their origin. The collection can be viewed here: www.thespacevault.org

The Space Vault Exhibition comprises artifacts drawn from the Space Vault collection, curated into a series of animated stories of human space exploration ‘above the Earth and to the Moon’. The Exhibition displays eleven curated stories of human space flight:

  1. Engineering the Moon – The Lunar Lander Research Vehicle
  2. The Most Powerful Machine Ever Devised – The Saturn V
  3. A Test Pilot’s Dream – Apollo 9
  4. I’m Stepping off the LEM Now – Apollo 11
  5. NASA’s Finest Hour – Apollo 13
  6. Life, The Universe and Everything – Apollo 15
  7. A Geologist in Space – Apollo 17
  8. The Mother of all RFPs – The Space Shuttle Program
  9. Back in the USSR – The Soviet Space Era
  10. Entente in Space – The International Space Station
  11. Rockets are Hard – The Commercialisation of Space

Dr Michael Warner, Director of The Space Vault Exhibition Ltd can be contacted at mwarner@thespacevault.org

Visitor information

  • Address: The River & Rowing Museum, Mill Meadows, Henley on

Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1BF. Tel: 01491 415600. Email: museum@rrm.co.uk.

  • Entry to the cafe and museum shop is free of
  • For ticket prices please visit the museum’s website rrm.co.uk