Featuring the Mars Blueberry Digital Planetarium
How high is space?
Why do rockets need to travel at nearly 30,000 kilometres per hour to stay in orbit?
How did humans reach the Moon, what does it look like on the other side and could we one day travel to Mars?
Step inside the Mars Blueberry digital planetarium and discover the answers for yourself.
What Is the Rocket Revolution?
This year, Carterton Space Week joins people around the world in celebrating Rocket Revolution, the official 2026 World Space Week theme. Over the last decade, rockets have transformed the way we explore space. Reusable boosters now routinely land back on Earth. NASA has begun preparing for humanity’s return to the Moon. New spacecraft are being developed for future journeys to Mars. And here in New Zealand, Rocket Lab has helped make Māhia one of the world’s most active orbital launch sites.
New Zealand’s Place in the Global Space Industry
Inside The Mars Blueberry, our inflatable dome theatre, visitors will travel from Earth to orbit and beyond, exploring the science, history and future of rocketry through immersive full-dome visuals and live presentations.
Along the way we’ll tackle some of the biggest questions in spaceflight:
• Where does space begin?
• How do rockets overcome Earth’s gravity?
• Why don’t astronauts fall back to Earth?
• How fast is orbital speed?
• How did the Apollo missions reach the Moon?
• What are the next giant leaps in space exploration?
• What role is New Zealand playing in the global space industry?
Experience the Mars Blueberry Planetarium
Whether you’re a future astronaut, an aspiring engineer, a curious student or simply someone who has looked up and wondered what’s beyond the sky, the Rocket Revolution Planetarium Experience offers a fascinating journey through one of humanity’s greatest achievements.
Event Information
Dates: Monday 5 October to Thursday 8 October 2026
Time: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Venue: Auditorium, Carterton Events Centre
Admission: $5 per person
Presented by Go Carterton as part of Carterton Space Week 2026.
“The story of rockets is the story of how humanity learned to leave Earth.”