• The Space Vault Exhibition closes on Sunday 17 May  

• It contains rare and historic objects brought back to Earth from the lunar surface, low-Earth orbit and outer space

• Highlights on display include objects flown on Apollo 8 and Apollo 9 which mirror the current flight of Artemis II.

An exhibition of one of the UK’s largest private collections of space artefacts from human space exploration on display at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum will close on Sunday 17 May 2026.  

The Space Vault Exhibition, which opened in June 2025, brings together 12 curated stories of human space exploration ‘above the Earth and to the Moon’ via immersive visuals and unique artefacts.

It contains 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 American and Russian space shuttle programmes, International Space Station and SpaceX.

Highlights on display include manuals flown in space on the missions of Apollo 8 and Apollo 9 - the flights 55 years ago that mirror the daring activities of the Artemis II astronauts today as they voyage once again to the Moon.  

The exhibition also includes the mission checklists that saved the crew of Apollo 13 when its oxygen tank exploded, Commander Dave Scott’s spacesuit umbilical cord through which he communicated his first words as he stepped onto the surface of the Moon, Lunar dust from the Hadley Rille landing site of Apollo 15, material from the Apollo 11 command module, a rare Soviet pressure suit and part of the nose cone of the first Starship to reach space.

Zak Mensah and Sara Wajid, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, said:  

“This unique exhibition offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience the awe-inspiring past, present and future of human space exploration.”

“We would like to encourage people to visit The Space Vault while it is on display at Thinktank.”

Dr Michael Warner, director of The Space Vault Exhibition, said:

“I am delighted to have been able to bring The Space Vault Exhibition to Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum.  

“I do hope that as many people as possible are able to explore these thrilling artefacts in Birmingham before the exhibition moves on to a purpose-built gallery in Henley-on-Thames.”

Entry to the Space Vault Exhibition is included in the general admission price for Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum.

For details of opening times, admission prices and to book tickets, visit the Thinktank website.