160th Anniversary of Japan-Italy Relations / 45th Sister City Anniversary Special Exhibition: From Moon to Mars - Italy in Space Exploration

About this event

Commemorating the 160th anniversary of Japan-Italy diplomatic relations and the 45th anniversary of the Osaka-Milan sister city partnership, this special exhibition highlights Italy's vital role in space exploration. A precise replica of the next-generation spacesuit "Axiom Extravehicular Unit (AxEMU)," co-developed by American space exploration company Axiom Space and Prada, will be publicly exhibited in Japan for the first time; it is scheduled to be used in the Artemis campaign aiming for crewed lunar exploration for the first time in over 50 years. This spacesuit combines superior mobility with high protective capabilities to withstand the harsh environment of the lunar south pole. The exhibition also introduces Italy's key contributions to human habitability—such as thermal control and the supply of drinking water and oxygen for the Artemis campaign's Orion spacecraft—and explores the human side of historical astronomers through copies of Giovanni Schiaparelli's Mars observation journals. It showcases the history and future of Italian space development, including moon observation maps by Galileo Galilei and Giovanni Cassini, historic moments of the Apollo program, and the European Space Agency's (ESA) ExoMars program.

Venue

Osaka Science Museum

4-2-1 Nakanoshima, Kita Ward, Osaka, Osaka 530-0005