Wallonia's first planetarium, to be built on the site of the Euro Space Centre in Transinne, Luxembourg Province, should open its doors to the public by late 2024, regional officials say.
A grant of €3.43 million has been awarded for the project by the Walloon government. This includes €1.160 million from regional Minister for Tourism, Valérie De Bue, and more than €2.27 million from Minister for Research Willy Borsus.
The planetarium will take the form of a dome with bleachers, that will allow the broadcasting of quality films on space, and astronomical simulations commented by experts.
“With more than 100,000 visitors per year, the Euro Space Centre is a major asset for Walloon tourism," Minister De Bue. explained.
"Equipped with the latest technologies, this planetarium will strengthen the international attractiveness of the site and will contribute to the tourism impact of the entire Region.”
A tourist attraction and an educational tool
The planetarium will also increase the supply of business tourism in Wallonia, as the infrastructure will be available for hire for the organisation of events and will be located close to an economic activity park.
It will moreover be an educational tool that will raise awareness on scientific and technological careers.
“The fact that this new planetarium will be connected to the existing infrastructure of the Euro Space Centre will have an optimum impact at the educational level, but also at the operational level," Minister Borsus noted.
"This is because of the economies of scale in terms of costs combined with a high level of attendance, since it will be coupled with that of the Euro Space Centre, which enjoys a high level of recognition,” he added.
The planetarium will be the fifth one in Belgium: there are already three in Flanders and one in Brussels.
