Vega lands at the museum
Vega, the European Space Agency’s launch vehicle, designed to send small satellites into Low Earth Orbit, has joined the collection at Milan’s Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia. The 1:1 scale model of Vega measures 30 meters in height and 3 meters in diameter. Vega – one of the most significant examples of European collaboration in the field of space – has been operative since 2012 with a total of 15 launches. This initiative is part of a program designed to enhance the museum’s Astronomy and Space Area, where visitors can immerse themselves in the stories and technology dedicated to space exploration. In addition to original, unique objects, interactive experiences, detailed focuses and fun facts, visitors can admire the only fragment of moon rock found in Italy, collected during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, and the Merz-Repsold refractor telescope, one of the largest in the world. Furthermore, thanks to reconstruction in the area dedicated to the International Space Station (ISS), visitors can observe images of an entire orbit around the Earth and discover one of the most fascinating research laboratories in the world.