Cosmodome, Space education center in Laval, Canada.
The Cosmodome is a space education center in Laval, Canada, with interactive exhibits and simulators open to visitors of all ages. It is divided into several areas, each dedicated to a different aspect of spaceflight, from rocket models to hands-on training stations.
The Cosmodome opened in 1994 and went through financial difficulties before receiving government support that helped it survive its early years. That intervention allowed it to grow into a permanent institution in Quebec dedicated to space education.
The Cosmodome lets visitors try out training equipment modeled after real NASA simulators, giving a concrete sense of what astronaut preparation looks like. Children and adults alike come here to get a hands-on feel for life aboard a space station.
The Cosmodome is accessible for visitors with different mobility needs, and most stations can be used without prior experience. Allow enough time to try several exhibits, as the more popular simulators can have waiting lines on busy days.
The lunar sample on display was collected by astronaut James Irwin during Apollo 15; it is one of only two lunar rocks exhibited in Canada. The Space Science Centre, which holds it, is the country's only museum devoted solely to the space sciences. The Cosmodome also keeps an authentic Apollo spacesuit and a full-size replica of the shuttle Endeavour.
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