The exhibition at The Map House, 54 Beauchamp Place, London SW3 1NY includes rare early 17th and 18th Century observations of the moon from astronomers such as Athanasius Kircher and Jean-Dominique Cassini, important maps produced by NASA for lunar exploration, globes and signed material by astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean and Jim Lovell. 

The launch of Russia’s satellite Sputnik I in 1957 and the first manned space flight mission by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961, the space race between Russia and the U.S. had begun, capturing the imaginations of millions around the world. Observatories and institutions assisted in producing highly detailed lunar maps, track charts and photographs. The publication of moon maps was an important propaganda tool to promote the space race during the Cold War... [+]