Kolkata has just got a new museum that would be of great interest to space enthusiasts. The unique museum based on astronomy and space science is housed in the Indian Centre for Space Physics (ICSP). The 7,000 square feet museum houses around 1,200 space-related items ranging from strands of Neil Armstrong's hair to rocks from the moon and Mars, and handwritten diaries and notes of prominent scientists and Nobel laureates. The museum was inaugurated on October 27 by Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian astronaut to venture into space.
What's On Offer
“This is a one-of-its-kind gallery because such a collection is unheard of for any other museum in India. There are many repositories with numerous exhibits dedicated to air and space, but none with so much astronomical content,” said Professor Sandip Kumar Chakrabarti, the Director of ICSP. The key exhibits include hair strands of Armstrong (the first person to walk on the moon), a 370-crore-year-old bacteria fossil, scaled-down models of Apollo 11 and the aircraft of the Wright brothers, handwritten notes and autographs of eminent astronauts and scientists from the last 200 years, as well as rocks from the moon, Mars and various meteorites, Chakrabarti elaborated.
While speaking at the inauguration, Sharma said the museum would enthuse the young generation and guide them towards space sciences. “If you are looking to future-proof your careers, then let this museum ignite your interest – because space, indeed, is the future,” the 74-year-old former wing commander told a gathering of students.
The exhibits have been sourced from different auctions across the world, while some were donated by family members of scientists and astronauts. Chakrabarti said the West Bengal government has granted Rs 40 lakh for the museum building, where exhibits worth over Rs 1 crore are on display. “We have dedicated the repository to Kolkata-born Ram Chandra Chatterjee, who is regarded as the first Indian aeronaut (balloonist), and eminent aerospace engineer Stephen Hector Taylor-Smith, who carried out about 300 rocket experiments from the Kolkata region between 1934 and 1944,” he said.
The Indian Centre for Space Physics is a world-class research institute dedicated to doing cutting-edge research in astronomy, astrophysics, and space science. More info here.
The Information
Address: The Indian Centre for Space Physics, 466 Barakhola, Netai Nagar Kolkata 700099
Getting There: The nearest airport is Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport. The nearest railheads are Howrah and Sealdah.