POINTS OF INTEREST
Glimpse the final frontier in Toulouse, France
Scientists with their sights set on the stars regularly converge in Toulouse for otherworldly explorations. The ancient city, famed for its terra cotta-tiled architecture, also has a futuristic streak, with 25 percent of Europeans working in the space sector based here. It’s been the major site of the French government space agency, the National Centre for Space Studies, since 1968, and forward-thinkers from all over the globe will fly in next June for the inaugural Global Space expo (on the agenda: open collaboration to make space travel less expensive and more accessible). Until extraterrestrial destinations are on the map, there’s Cité de l’espace, an interactive museum on the outskirts of Toulouse (pictured). Step on board a fullscale replica Mir space station, see a 53-metre-tall model of an Ariane 5 rocket launcher, and contemplate the next giant leaps forward.