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Origin and history

The Safran Aeronautical and Space Museum is a private museum created by the Safran group, heir to French motorists such as Gnome and Rhône or Snecma. Located in Réau in the agglomeration of Melun (Seine and Marne), it presents an exceptional collection of aircraft engines, ranging from the first piston engines to modern turbojets and rocket engines. These parts, developed by companies now integrated in Safran, illustrate the technological evolution of aeronautical and space propulsion.

The museum's origins date back to 1985, when the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace du Bourget and Snecma signed a convention to restore old engines. Employees of Snecma, volunteers, restored these machines, and in 1987, the decision was made to create a museum on the Villaroche site. Inaugurated in 1989 in a former 4 000 m2 seaplane hangar, it is run by the Association of Friends of the Safran Museum. In 2013, an extension was added to accommodate a section dedicated to space propulsion.

The museum's collections include iconic engines such as the Gnome and Rhône, the Hispano-Suiza, or the Snecma M88 turbojet, as well as Viking and Vulcan rocket engines. Some aircraft, such as Blériot XI or Mirage IIIC, complete the exhibition. The museum features the parallel history of aviation and aerospace, with rare pieces such as Gnome and Rhône motorcycles and missile equipment. Open to the public for free, it welcomes visitors on Wednesdays and last Saturdays of the month, as well as groups by reservation.

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