The state-of-the-art digital planetarium will include a 70-seater science theatre with a full dome for special shows and is due to open by Christmas 2005.

The planetarium is part of the museum’s Future Horizons project, which will see the construction of a new study area and entrance feature to the existing Futures Gallery.

		The planned entrance feature will include Thinktank's nanotechnology exhibits. Picture courtesy Thinktank.

The museum has secured £673,000 in funding for the project from ReDiscover – a joint venture between the Millenium Commission, the Wellcome Trust and the Wolfson Foundation.

ReDiscover supports science education and offers grants to UK science centres and museums to develop exhibition space.

Thinktank chief executive Stewart Dobson said: “We are absolutely delighted that ReDiscover has approved our bid in its entirety. We can now press ahead with this exciting project that will enable us to take our visitors to the edge of the universe.”

EMO the emotional robot is one of the exhibits that can be found at the Futures Gallery. Courtesy Thinktank.

Plans for the Future Horizons project include the addition of three ‘Future of Space’ interactive exhibits entitled – Is Life Out There?, Space Travel and Life On Mars.

A dramatic entrance feature for the Future’s gallery is also planned that will help visitors explore the exhibits.

Thinktank Trust chairman Cllr Len Clark said: “This is a tremendous boost for the museum, its staff and the people of Birmingham. I am sure the planetarium will be very popular and a great education resource for schools.”

Thinktank aims to commission designers and contractors by the end of October with the planetarium scheduled to open at the end of 2005.