A passenger tunnel at Brussels Airport was transformed into a spaceship to highlight Belgium’s space sector.
The tunnel, used by passengers returning from trips within the Schengen Zone en route to baggage claim, now features a 20-metre-long design resembling a spacecraft.
The corridor includes images of astronauts, the sun, planets, and stars, ensuring space exploration catches the eye of those arriving in Belgium.
“This way, people can experience what it feels like to be inside a spaceship,” said Arlin Bagdat, chair of the management committee of the Federal Public Service Chancellery.
She added: “Through this campaign, we want to showcase Belgium’s ambitions, technologies, and talents in space exploration.”
Corridor dedicated to space projects and it's industry is unveiled in Brussels Airport in Zaventem on Friday 19 December 2025. Credit: Belga/Ine Gillis
Belgian astronaut Raphaël Liégeois attended the inauguration of the tunnel on Friday.
“Belgium may be small on Earth, but we are big in space,” he said. “Investing in the space sector is vital for our industry, for protecting the planet, for our autonomy, and most importantly, for inspiring our youth to dream of careers in space.”
Corridor dedicated to space projects and it's industry is unveiled in Brussels Airport in Zaventem on Friday 19 December 2025. Credit: Belga/Ine Gillis
Liégeois’s own mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has recently been delayed by at least six months, with a new departure date likely around 2027, though not yet confirmed.
“I’m back in Cologne for training and will go to Houston for further preparation once I receive a mission,” he shared. “The delay is unfortunate, but it comes with benefits—I can spend more time with my family.”
In late November, European space ministers met to discuss the sector’s future, approving a record €22.1 billion in investment.Based on contributions per capita, Belgium ranks second after Luxembourg, pledging €1.1 billion towards the initiative.
