Lavasa Corporation Ltd. has entered into an agreement with Space Investment Co. LLC (SIC), to build and manage SpaceWorld, Asia’s first hi-tech centre for space edutainment. This landmark, 65-acre SpaceWorld will come up along the backwaters of the Warasgaon dam at Lavasa near Pune, at an investment of Rs. 400 crore. SpaceWorld at Lavasa will be operational by the end of 2010.

Lavasa is free India ’s first and largest Hill City being developed by Lavasa Corporation Ltd., an HCC Group Company. SIC is the partner and licensee of the United States Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) that operates SpaceWorld Arabia in the UAE. The edutainment programmes for the SpaceWorld at Lavasa are prepared with inputs from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) representatives, educators, veteran astronauts and scientists with active assistance from USSRC’s space management experience. The centre will offer courses primarily aimed at new technologies and space browsing. These programmes will help create understanding of aerospace science in an entertaining way.

Sharing the details on the new initiative, Mr. Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman, Lavasa Corporation Ltd., said, "We are committed to bring in world-class facilities at Lavasa, be it hospitality, research, health or living experience based on the concept of new urbanism. With SIC as our partners, we aim to create SpaceWorld, a first of its kind project in Asia, which will offer a space like experience to the visitors. As India takes giant steps with its space exploration programme, we expect SpaceWorld at Lavasa to provide a lifetime experience that will fascinate researchers, students, tourists, both adults and children alike".

With state-of-the-art facilities, the SpaceWorld edutainment centre will offer visitors an inspiring and entertaining educational experience about life in space. A Space Camp, an Aviation Camp, Robotics, Rocketry and X-Camp Survival training, scuba, fun rides (demonstrating weightlessness) and a theatre, in addition to a Space Mall and Hotel have been planned in the proposed centre.

SpaceWorld will also host an entertainment area, space lectures by astronauts, simulation of missions that astronauts experience and live communication with the International Space Station.