Australian Space Discovery Centre at Lot Fourteen
The Australian Space Discovery Centre (ASDC) located in Adelaide at Lot Fourteen is home to the Australian Space Agency and opened to the public in May 2021.
Visitors to the Discovery Centre are able to explore the latest innovations in space technologies and learn about Australia’s role in expanding national and international space activities. The Discovery Centre is designed to inspire the next generation of the space workforce with stories of innovation, curiosity and technology.
SEE WHAT’S ON DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
Exploring the Discovery Centre
The Australian Space Discovery Centre has four interconnected areas including a fully operational Mission Control Centre and hands-on experiences with touch screens and robots to inspire children and young people and spark their curiosity.
The Space Gallery
The Space Gallery celebrates Australia’s contemporary work and excellence in the space sector. The exhibition includes 20 experiences across four different zones.
To Space – Explore Australia’s expertise in aerospace and cutting-edge propulsion systems.
On Orbit – Discover the unique challenges and opportunities of operating in space.
Space for Australia – Learn about Australia’s contributions to the global space industry and how space impacts our everyday life.
Beyond Earth – Discover how Australia’s expertise in remote operations will benefit future human spaceflight.
Careers and Information Hub
The Careers and Information Hub challenges ideas about space careers. It connects visitors with paths to space jobs with a focus on STEM. The hub also covers other space disciplines including art, history, law, and diplomacy.
The Careers and Information Hub provides opportunities for self-learning as well as staff-guided discovery.
Mission Control Centre and Theatrette
The Mission Control Theatrette is a multipurpose theatre, looking directly into the Mission Control Centre.
Saber Astronautics operates the Mission Control Centre, called the Responsive Space Operations Centre. It provides facilities to control small satellite missions with real-time control and testing.
Endeavour Room
The Endeavour Room is named after the Space Shuttle Endeavour which took Andy Thomas, an Australian-born astronaut, to space. The Endeavour Room is a place for the space sector to connect with the public. The Endeavour Room will host programs, meetings, video conferences and events.
Visiting Hours
During the South Australian school term, the Discovery Centre is open to the public for visitation:
- Wednesday 2pm – 5pm
- Thursday 2pm – 5pm
- Friday 12pm – 5pm
- Saturday and Sunday 10am – 5pm
Please Note: Variations to scheduling may occur from time-to-time based on school bookings and special events. Please check availability via the booking page.
Tickets are free and they run hourly on the half hour presentations in the theatrette.
SPACE DISCOVERY CENTRE REVIEW
The fantastic new space hub at Lot Fourteen on North Tce is now open to the public from 5 May 2021. It’s not a space museum or play centre. This is dedicated to inspiring young people, particularly 12-25 yr olds, to consider working in the exciting, and growing, space industry.
A short informative presentation at the beginning of the session talks about how there are all sorts of jobs that are involved in the industry – from engineers, lawyers, trainers, IT, nutritionists, visual design artists and more, that you may not have thought of – it’s not just for astronauts.
Get a peek into the Mission Control Room of Sabre Astronautics who control satellites and if you’re lucky the Flight Director may be free to do a talk as he did today.
The Space Gallery is a state of the art exhibition area with 20 experiences across 4 different zones. Here you can operate a small robotic arm as if it was on Mars; learn about what astronauts do in a day; and find out about all sorts of fascinating space related things. The interactive stations feature buttons, controllers and screens that will make any gaming fan feel at home.
All around the room there are profile boards of many different people who work in the space industry, showing info about their background, and what their job involves. It’s great to see many females represented when traditionally careers like engineering appealed to more males. This is such a great way to give young people an insight into all the many varied roles there are in the space industry which is set to employ 20,000 people.
During the South Australian school term, the Discovery Centre is open to the public for visitation:
- Wednesday 2pm – 5pm
- Thursday 2pm – 5pm
- Friday 12pm – 5pm
- Saturday and Sunday 10am – 5pm
SEE WHAT’S ON DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Australian Space Discovery Centre
What: Australian Space Discovery Centre
When: Opening hours Wednesday to Sunday (see opening hours above)
Where: Lot Fourteen | North Tce, Adelaide
Who: Ideal for 12 to 25 year olds and anyone with an interest in the space industry
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
Image Source: Australian Space Discovery Centre website
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