The Design Museum London – Moving to Mars Exhibition (on until Feb 2020)

A Multi-Sensory Exhibition To Fill You With Wonder

I have now twice visited The Design Museum exhibition “Moving to Mars”, and am in the process of planning my third. Apart from being creatively curated with a good balance of items to see, touch and experience, it is packed with information. The exhibition recommends visitors spend an hour and fifteen minutes to make their way round all the items. However, I spent an hour and a half on my first visit and the same again on my second and found this wasn’t enough time to take in all the exhibition had to offer.

Five Items You Must See

If you are restricted for time, below I have distilled for you the five must-see parts of the exhibition:

1. A full-scale ExoMars rover which will travel to Mars in 2020
2. An immersive film to experience the Red Planet with flooring to replicate the Mars ground. Never seen in public before.
3. A wooden rocket – connect with your inner child or take a child with you.
4. A section on the Evolution of Space Clothing with the first spacesuit designed for the Mars surface.
5. Items in the 3D printed Mars habitat – my favourite was the plastic lounger which I found more comfortable than most of the furniture in my home.

Starting Again on Mars

It is clear that there will be people on Mars in the near future. This exhibition asks whether we should reconsider and concentrate on creating a better world on Earth and whether going to Mars is a step too far at this moment. Persuasive arguments for and against are put forward by scientists, astronauts, designers and astronomers and leave you with some challenging ideas.

Everything about a Mars project means rethinking design; clothes, food, accommodation, utensils, robots. They all need to be zero waste and clean energy powered. It’s one of humanity’s greatest challenges. There is the first sustainable urban design created by Mars City Design along with Foster & Partners Mars habitat designers.

I came away from the exhibition with a lot to think about. The exhibition is not just about placing humans on Mars, for me it was also about how humans live on Earth. So many of the questions faced when planning for Mars could be asked about how we live on Earth, today.

The exhibition is on until February 2020 at the Design Museum in London. The closest station is High Street Kensington which is a five minute walk from the entrance. Take a visit and spark your sense of wonder….