An £8m International Space and Astronomy Centre (ISAC) has been given the go-ahead by the DCMS.

The 2,772sq m, space-themed attraction , a joint venture between Mersey Ferries and the Astrophysics Research Institute at Liverpool John Moores University, will be situated in a former ferry maintenance building within the Mersey Ferries passenger terminal and is receiving substantial backing from the European Regional Development Fund and Wirral Waterfront.

Mersey Travel, parent company of Mersey Ferries, is providing £1.5m; Wirral Waterfront SRB, £1.9m; Wirral MBC, £0.2m; Objective 1 ERDF, £3.7m and the remaining £1m will come from the private sector.

The centre has been designed by Liverpool-based architects, Robert Clayton partnership and Kingston on Thames interior design company, ESP Sarner. It will include a hands-on Command Centre, an observatory and a planetarium-style Planisphere as well as a time machine which will take visitors on a journey through the creation of the solar system and a wormhole which will take them back to the 16th century to meet Galileo Gililei.

Layton Quinton, of Mersey Ferries, said: 'Mersey Ferries is already the number one paid-for tourist attraction in the region and we wanted to extend the experience to more than the 50minute cruise by adding attractions at the terminal.

'We wanted something with a good future and science museums are very en vogue at the moment,' he added.

Mersey Ferries has already introduced an aquarium and children's play area at the site.

The centre is expected to attract 60-90,000 visitors in its first year.

Building work is due to begin in the near future and the centre is expected to open to the public towards the end of 2004. Details: merseyferries.co.uk/space