Destination Mars

If you haven't booked your spot in Richard Brandon's Virgin Galactic craft just yet, you can ease into things with a new space exploration mission at Te Papa.

Part of Aotearoa New Zealand's Festival of Arts, interactive exhibit Destination Mars allows keen space fans to face the challenge of averting a catastrophic galactic disaster — just without, you know, any actual threat to human life.

Running from Saturday, December 11 until Sunday, March 20, Destination Mars is created by the same team who toured the successful Apollo 13: Mission Control exhibit in New Zealand back in 2010. In this scenario, participants find themselves in a control room on an international space station during a routine Mars mission in 2034, when a solar flare threatens the planet.

This is no usual exhibit. In this completely immersive, 45 minute experience, you'll be seated with friends and strangers within a giant dome environment, while you follow crew instructions, attend to your console, and watch all the action unfold.

If you've always dreamed of saving the day, this might be the perfect chance. Tickets start at $15 for children and $20 for adults, with concession passes and family packs also available.