New Mission: Astronaut MOSH exhibit gives taste of life in space

A new exhibit that opens this weekend at the Museum of Science and History in Jacksonville gives visitors a glimpse into the astronaut lifestyle.

On Thursday, MOSH officials gave a tour of the newest traveling exhibit called Mission: Astronaut. It will open to the public Saturday morning and will be at the Southbank museum until Jan. 5, 2025.

Mission: Astronaut gives visitors a small taste of what it’s like to be an astronaut through hands-on and digital interactions that show what it’s like to eat in a zero-gravity environment how to work in space with thick gloves and more.

The exhibit brings together elements of science, math, history, social studies and more.

Anthony Mortimer, vice president of education at MOSH, said he hopes the exhibit will inspire children to one day be an astronaut or work in the space industry.

“That’s kind of the grander purpose. It’s not just about entertainment or just about education, it’s about inspiring lifelong learning, which is our mission statement here at MOSH,” Mortimer said.

The exhibit is appropriate for all ages.

Another feature of this exhibit that has Mortimer excited is that it’s offered in English and Spanish, allowing more families to learn from it.

“Language can be a barrier and I don’t want a learner of any age who is in here and able to enjoy the physical interactives still, but maybe doesn’t really know what they are doing because it’s not presented in a way that they can understand,” Mortimer said.

He said the museum is looking into ways to use technology to break down even more language barriers once MOSH moves into its new home near the sports complex in a few years.

Mission: Astronaut is included in a general admission ticket to MOSH . Tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for students, people over 55 years old and military, $18 for children 3-12 years old, and free for museum members and children under 2.

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