By popular demand, the dates of the Space Crew Family Quest will be extended. You can take part in it at VDNH and the Moscow Museum of Cosmonautics until 1 November 2022.
Quest participants will learn how the idea of space exploration appeared, how the famous Belka and Strelka helped to plan the human space flight, what real astronauts should know before the flight, what items are used during the space journey, how spacecrafts return to Earth and how the famous Buran did it, as well as many other things.
Roscosmos State Corporation is a partner of the project.
The joint project of VDNH and the Museum of Cosmonautics allows parents to participate with children of three ages: 5–7, 8–9 and 10–12 years old. To take part in the quest, you must visit the following VDNH sites one by one: the first stage—the Museum of Cosmonautics; the second stage—the territory of the VDNH and Buran Interactive Museum Complex; the third stage—the Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre.
To visit the sites require admission tickets to the Moscow Museum of Cosmonautics, Buran Interactive Museum Complex and Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre at VDNH.
Opening times:
Moscow Museum of Cosmonautics (111 Prospekt Mira):
Tue, Wed, Fri, Wed—from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.,
Thu, Sat—from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Buran Interactive Museum Complex:
Tue-Fri.—from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Currently, the venue is temporarily closed for technical reasons.
Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre:
Tue-Sri.—from 11:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Quest Walkthrough
The first stage begins at the Museum of Cosmonautics located at 111 Prospekt Mira, Moscow. Participants can enter with tickets, then on the first stage ('Preparing for Space Flight'), they receive a logbook and a guidebook at the reception desk. In case of obstacles, please contact the museum administrators for help. The logbook is filled out by participants and presented at all sites of the quest to get a mark (sticker) after passing each stage.
The second and third stages take place at VDNH: at Buran Interactive Museum Complex and Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre. To participate, you must purchase admission tickets to these sites and get the new space guide at the Information Centre on the Main Entrance Arch of VDNH. It is recommended to purchase tickets to the sites in advance online in order to start the route from the Main Entrance Arch.
Buran Interactive Museum Complex can be visited with a guided tour only (excursion service is included in the ticket price). Before that, teams are given a tablet and a pencil to fill out the Flight guidebook. After passing the second stage and completing the guidebook, participants are again marked in the logbook (in the cloakroom area). An employee of the Buran Complex who checks the guidebook can advise the 'crew' on all questions of interest.
Participants pass the third stage—'Space Exploration'—independently at the Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre. Prior to the start, teams receive the tablet and the pencil at the information desk. For completing the tasks, one needs to find the necessary items using navigation stickers—floor stickers labelled 'Space Crew Family Quest.' For help, please contact the attendants of the centre's exposition who are always ready to advise if a participant has any difficulties. At the end, participants fill out the guidebook again and receive a sticker in the logbook at the information desk.
After passing all the stages on the basis of a fully filled-in logbook, the Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre becomes the place where participants receive a certificate of completing the quest signed by one of the Russian cosmonauts.
Chevron Contest
Teams can also participate in the space crew chevrons (emblems) contest. To do this, you must choose one favourite exhibit at each of the sites of the quest and draw your unique chevron based on them on a special page in the logbook.
After passing the quest, by 1 November 2022, you must take a picture of the chevron page from the logbook and the certificate of completing the quest, and then send two .jpeg files to cosmofamily@vdnh.ru with the subject #SpaceCrewQuest.
From 1 November 2022, a competition committee will select the ten finalists. Their pictures will be published on vdnh.ru, where until 28 November 2022, online voting for the best chevron will last. The winner's chevron is planned to be printed, sent into space and returned to the owners from a real space journey. The winning family will also be able to communicate with astronauts on the International Space Station.
You can find detailed instructions on the websites of VDNH and the Museum of Cosmonautics.