Artemis II exhibition opened at Space Expo
For the first time in more than fifty years, astronauts are travelling to the Moon. To mark this occasion, space museum Space Expo opened the exhibition ‘Artemis II’ on Thursday, 5 February. This temporary exhibition tells the story of the race to the Moon. “It is a theme that truly captures the imagination and deserves a place in our museum,” says director Frédérique van Steekelenburg – Van der Stelt. The Artemis missions are a collaborative effort between NASA and, among others, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
At the festive opening of the exhibition, dozens of professionals from the space industry were in attendance. Rob van Hassel of Airbus Netherlands, who is responsible for, among other things, the solar panels used for the mission, gave an introduction on their role in the programme. On behalf of Space Expo, Collection Manager Olga van Veen spoke about the development of the exhibition. “We are extremely pleased with the result,” says director Frédérique van Steekelenburg. “In an accessible way, we tell the story behind the Artemis missions. It is a highly relevant topic and aligns perfectly with our mission to make space exploration accessible to a broad audience. We therefore expect significant interest in this temporary exhibition.”
Iconic moment
The launch of Artemis II was originally scheduled for on or shortly after 6 February. Due to technical challenges, however, the event has since been postponed by at least one month. Nevertheless, the mission already marks an iconic moment in the history of spaceflight. It is the first crewed mission of the Artemis programme, which is ultimately intended to establish a (semi-)permanent human presence on the Moon and pave the way for missions to Mars. Initially, NASA will send four astronauts in an Orion capsule on a journey to the Moon and far beyond it, without landing. The mission is expected to last ten days and is designed to test both the capsule and the Space Launch System (SLS) required for the mission. Particular attention will be given to life-support systems, as well as communication and navigation capabilities. It will be the first time in more than fifty years that astronauts travel beyond Earth orbit.
About the exhibition
Space Expo tells the story of space exploration, and the Artemis missions represent a new and defining chapter in that story. For that reason, it is important that this theme has a place within the museum. The Artemis II exhibition demonstrates that these launches should be seen as part of a new space race, particularly as China is pursuing similar ambitions. Space Expo explains why missions to the Moon remain important and places them within their historical and geopolitical context. Visitors can explore the subject through scale models, imagery and unique artefacts. Special attention is given to the Orion capsule, parts of which are supplied by the European Space Agency (ESA) and which is equipped with Dutch-built solar panels from Airbus. The exhibition also highlights the Artemis II crew and offers a glimpse into the future of space exploration, including a semi-permanent presence on the Moon and future missions to Mars. The Artemis exhibition will be on display at Space Expo through 30 August 2026.
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