National Space Exploration Centre planned for Monksland

Primary and secondary school students from across the Midlands are expected to make up the bulk of visitors to a major interactive National Space Exploration Centre which is being planned for a site in Monksland.

Planning documents lodged with Roscommon County Council by a company called Metaversal Ltd, signal their intention to develop a state-of-the-art visitor attraction at a unit in Westpoint Retail Park in Monksland, which they state will be "the only one of its kind" in Ireland.

The proposed development, which is expected to create three full-time and 19 part-time jobs, would include an interactive space museum, a virtual reality space mission experience, an auditorium area for children, young people and adults, along with a cafe and a merchandising store. The gross floor area would cover more than 18,500 square feet, and would be distributed over two floors, including a first-floor mezzanine area.

Metaversal Ltd, which is described as "experienced recreational/leisure operators" state that the large-scale project will "significantly enhance" the tourism product in Athlone and will contribute to employment opportunities in the town. They also point out that the creation of science museums has "proved very successful in other countries".

The site for the proposed centre, in Westpoint Business Park, covers an area of 0.23 ha (occupied by units 8 and 9). Unit 9 is owned by the applicant, while Unit 8 is owned by the landlord. The site is described in the planning documents as being an existing vacant warehouse formerly used for leisure use. Existing access is via the R632 road, and the site is close to Junction 13 on the M6 motorway and close to public transport (bus stop). It also benefits from a established large communal car park.

Funding for the hugely-ambitious project is to be sought from the EU Just Transition Grant Aid Scheme.

Among the jobs that are to be created as part of the proposed project are managerial and administrator roles, attraction attendances, food and beverage associates and cleaning and maintenance staff.

Included in the plans for the National Space Exploration Centre in Monksland is a VR experience which would recreate a mission to space. The planning documents outline how this will be achieved through the use of VR headsets and robotics "that mimic a spaceship take-off and landing". They explain that each stage of the space journey would be simulated, from pre-flight checks, docking at a space station and returning to earth.

The planning documents point out that there is "an absence of space-related educational facilities in Ireland" and, while Birr Castle and Armagh Observatory offer space-orientated museum experiences, they mainly focus on the history of space exploration. They also note the absence of interactive and educational science experiences in Roscommon "and the general Midlands region".

The plans state that it is the objective of the proposed National Space Exploration Centre to "inspire students to pursue careers in the sciences by fostering an interest in this subject through engaging and captivating experiences".

It also aims to promote the learning of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) subjects, with the most significant numbers of visitors to the centre being drawn from primary and secondary schools.

Roscommon County Council is due to make a decision on the proposed development by July 15 next.