The Concorde is the world's first commercially operational supersonic passenger aircraft. Mach 1 refers to the speed of sound, which is 340 meters per second, and speeds exceeding this are referred to as supersonic. From 1976 to 2003, the Concorde could fly at Mach 2, reaching a speed of 2,448 kilometers per hour. That's a sufficient speed to travel from Incheon to New York in just 5 hours.
The Concorde was retired after its last flight in 2003 due to several issues that could not be resolved, including the immense noise produced at the speed of sound known as "sonic boom," safety concerns, and high ticket prices. However, there are still places where one can experience the Concorde. One such place is the Aviation Museum "AEROSCOPIA" located near Blagnac Airport, northwest of Toulouse, France.
Toulouse, known as the capital of Europe's aerospace industry, also has ties to the Concorde. It was in Toulouse that the Concorde first succeeded in its test flight in 1969. The AEROSCOPIA, which opened in 2015, exhibits retired Concordes and various aircraft produced by Airbus in France.
The AEROSCOPIA visited on the 3rd resembled a hangar that stores actual aircraft. Upon entering the museum, a vast indoor exhibition space was filled with various aircraft. The first to greet visitors was the Concorde, which could be explored as if one were a real passenger.
The narrow and long Concorde could only accommodate about 100 passengers due to its limited seating capacity. As a result, ticket prices were high. One reason for the cessation of commercial operations was that the high costs and discomfort led to fewer passengers. Indeed, the internal atmosphere of the Concorde felt quite cramped compared to a typical passenger aircraft. No matter how fast it was, it did not seem reasonable to pay 15 times the price of ordinary aircraft for such a passenger experience.
Another notable aircraft was the A300-600ST, a variant of the A300, which was Airbus's first aircraft, converted for cargo transport. It is nicknamed "Beluga" because of its resemblance to a white whale. It was large enough to accommodate another smaller aircraft inside. It was also impressive that the aircraft's interior was cut in half to allow visitors to examine it.
AEROSCOPIA features a variety of aircraft on display, from early airplanes created by French aviation pioneer Louis Blériot in the early 20th century to the Mirage, a multi-role fighter jet from France.
Not only were aircraft exhibited, but also major components such as engines, wheels, and seats were separately displayed, along with various experience programs such as "Aviation Career Experience" and "Aviation Archaeology." Even on a weekday morning, the 7,000 square meter exhibition space was crowded with families who brought children and local students visiting in groups from schools.
If AEROSCOPIA showcases the past and present of Toulouse's aviation industry, the Cité de l'Espace, located east of Toulouse, allows visitors to view the past and future of the space industry. As soon as visitors enter the space museum, they can see the Ariane 5, Europe's representative space launch vehicle. The full-size Ariane 5 stands 55 meters tall.
Next to the Ariane 5 was the Russian crewed spacecraft Soyuz capsule and a model of the Mir Space Station. Notably, the Mir Space Station model was recreated to actual size, allowing visitors to enter inside. Items used by astronauts were also replicated, allowing visitors to indirectly experience the lives of astronauts. Marlène Meck, Director for Public Relations of the space museum, noted, "The model of the Mir Space Station can also be used for actual astronaut training."
The space museum recently began operating the lunar exploration simulator LuneXplorer to promote the international crewed lunar exploration program, "Artemis." As the second experiential facility introduced in Europe, visitors can experience the rocket launch and lunar landing process as if they were astronauts embarking on a lunar mission. When the rocket launches, visitors can feel a gravitational acceleration of 2G, double that at ground level, enhancing the realism.
A representative of the space museum said, "We are reproducing the entire process from Earth to the Moon exactly as it is," and emphasized the importance of raising awareness of the Artemis program, which marks humanity's return to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.
The indoor exhibition space of the space museum is also diversely decorated with experiential elements. It includes a planetarium that screens documentaries and movies related to space, along with areas where visitors can experience the history of the universe through 3D videos, from the Big Bang to the formation of the solar system. It's not just exhibits to be viewed but also offers various experiential programs that engage young students.
Marlène Meck, Director, mentioned, "The annual visitors to the space museum amount to 450,000," noting that "11% of them are foreign visitors, indicating that many people visit from abroad."
(This article was written with the support of the Korea Press Foundation (KPF) 2025 KPF Diploma Aerospace program.)