One of the great things about working for the Science Museum is that it’s full of things to do and explore at lunchtimes. I was always dragging my dad there at weekends when I was little, and the fascination still hasn’t quite worn off.
One of the more recent installations is an IMAX cinema in the Wellcome Wing at the Western end of the museum. I’ve been to quite a few IMAX cinemas, including the one at Waterloo, but hadn’t been to the Science Museums, and so today I went to see Space Station 3D at lunchtime.
There are quite a few space-related IMAX films (another one, Magnificent Desolation 3D, is due out on Friday), but Space Station 3D is the first to feature real IMAX footage, shot by astronauts in the International Space Station. Which, considering that 3D IMAX cameras are big and bulky, and can only carry a limited roll of film, is an impressive feat.
The resulting pictures are pretty amazing, especially the long shots of space station orbiting Earth remarkably quickly. I was also struck by how ordinary some bits of the space station life were. That seems a remarkable thing to say, but I wouldn’t have imagined the astronauts decorating the walls with family photos, eating popcorn, or having a shave. I’m so used to seeing pictures of astonauts in space suits, that it was even a bit odd to see them floating about in USA flag patterned socks.
Anyhow, it was a relaxing way to spend a lunchtime, and the film is worth seeing.
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