Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine, Planetarium Noosphere has launched free space retreat sessions, a social initiative aimed to support thousands of internally displaced persons, who found refuge in Dnipro.

The space retreat is a real-time space journey simulation, during which the participants immerse in deep space not only to unveil the beauty and the mysteries of the Universe, but also to introspect and explore their sensations and emotions. The place of untouched nature for withdrawal is taken by spectacular worlds of other planets and moons, humans have never been to, and picturesque nebulae, reproduced in high resolution due to the modern digital projection system, which gives the impression of a real space flight. This impression is enhanced by the particular acoustics of the dome Star Theater, which isolates from external noises and creates the sound environment that favors relaxation and meditative contemplation of space views, set up with the live narration of the space guide.


The space retreat helps reduce psycho-emotional stress, unlocks perception by engaging all the five senses, awakens the emotional sphere, and encourages to search for new existential meanings, set new goals, and aspire for self-perfection. This is an innovative practice inviting to rethink the public mission of the planetarium, which can be both an educational center and a hub for mental health recovery, which is especially important during the military aggression and the post-war renewal of Ukraine.

The program of space retreat, launched by Planetarium Noosphere in 2022, is unique and has no analogues in the world. As a result, it has attracted significant interest of the International Planetarium Society. In December 2023, Dr. Martin George, Chair of the International Committee of the International Planetarium Society wrote an article about the space retreat at Planetarium Noosphere for the specialized international journal “Planetarian”. On July 22, 2024, at the invitation of the International Planetarium Society, the program of space retreat was presented at the International Conference IPS 2024, a major international event celebrating the 100th Anniversary of planetariums, held in Berlin and Jena to bring together the representatives of the planetarian community from all the continents. From now on, the representatives of the planetarian community, scientists, and students can access the article detailing the space retreat program in the International Planetarium Society 2024 Conference Proceedings.



​​​​​​​As of now, 9,500 internally displaced people, including 8,000 children under the age of 18, have attended the free weekly space retreat sessions at Planetarium Noosphere, and the program of the space retreat continues to attract growing interest of the global planetarian community.