Osaka – The exhibition From the Moon to Mars. Italy in Space Exploration is on display at the Osaka Science Museum through October 25. Promoted by Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and curated by Viviana Panaccia, the exhibition is part of celebrations marking the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and Japan and the 45th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Milan and Osaka. The exhibition traces the long history of space exploration through photographs documenting some of its most significant moments, while also highlighting the development of Italy’s space industry. A special section is devoted to Giovanni Schiaparelli’s observations of the so-called “canals” on Mars. One of the exhibition’s highlights is a faithful replica of the new Axiom Extravehicular Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit, being presented in Japan for the first time. Developed jointly by Prada and Axiom Space, the suit is intended for NASA’s Artemis programme, which aims to return humans to the lunar surface more than 50 years after the last crewed Moon landing. Two talks by astronaut Wakata Koichi are also scheduled for October 20 and 22. Wakata is also Axiom Space’s Technical Director for the Asia-Pacific region. The exhibition is organised by the Osaka Science Museum and the Italian Cultural Institute in Osaka, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the European Space Agency (ESA). (9colonne)