COME SEE US AT THE ESTEC OPEN DAY
The ESTEC Open Day in the Netherlands isn’t far away, and we’re incredibly proud to be returning to host the Space Rocks stage on Sunday with a programme that’s guaranteed to bring space down to Earth with a great big collection of scientists, astronauts, engineers and creative types and it’s all hosted by Izzie Clarke.
10:30 MISSION UPDATE
It’s a historic time for ESA. Hear what’s next from this exciting panel discussion with ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, Director of Human and Robotic Exploration Daniel Neuenschwander, Head of ESTEC Dietmar Pilz and ESA astronauts André Kuipers and Rosemary Coogan.
11:20 THE DARK SIDE OF THE UNIVERSE
From dark matter and dark energy to black holes and beyond, explore the unseen universe, with JWST scientist Mark McCaughrean, Event Horizon Telescope scientist Sera Markoff and Euclid project scientist Valeria Pettorino.
12:05 YOUR TICKET TO SPACE
Want to work at a space agency? This kids-focused session explores the many roles and career paths available to young people aiming to reach for the stars! It’s a game-show format and the answers may surprise you, with astronaut Ulf Merbold and more.
13:00 THINKING MACHINES: SPACE ROBOTICS
In space humans and robots work hand in hand. See the cutting-edge of robotics up close with this full demonstration from ESA’s Human Robot Interaction Lab with Janke Sant Brinkman.
13:55 OUR EXTREME SOLAR SYSTEM
We live in a rough planetary neighbourhood and exploring it is no easy task. Learn how ESA’s missions to Mercury, the icy moons of Jupiter and a comet from the distant reaches of our Solar System are looking to change all that. With JUICE scientist and UK Astronomer Royal Michele Dougherty and BepiColombo project scientist Geraint Jones.
14:45 THE MARTIAN INVASION WITH JEFF WAYNE
Jeff’s legendary 1978 musical adaptation of HG Wells’ 1898 science fiction classic The War Of The Worlds has become one of the longest-running stage productions of all time. Stargate actor David Hewlett and a special ESA science panel join Jeff to explore this seminal story’s enduring appeal — and the science behind it.
15:30 ASTRONAUTS! FROM THE SPACE STATION TO MARS
What does the future look like for human spaceflight, and where are we going? Hear perspectives from two different generations of ESA astronauts, with Thomas Reiter, and Rosemary Coogan and hosted by Parabolic Flight director Neil Melville.
16:15 STRANGE NEW WORLDS: THE HUNT FOR EXOPLANETS
The search for life in the universe begins with the search for planets that can sustain life. ESA’s CHEOPS will soon be joined by the PLATO and ARIEL missions to do just that. Find out how they’ll do that from the missions’ project scientists Max Günther and Theresa Rank-Lueftinger.
CREATIVE SPACE
Last year’s visitors to the ESTEC Open Day might recall seeing a life-size Monolith, inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. This year, the ESTEC Monolith Crew has created the ‘Somewhere in Time’ display. The Future exhibit will display a concept for long-distance deep space travel, and The Past to Present exhibit will revisit hardware across the last 50 years of ESA!
The event is sold out, but if you couldn’t make it this time we’ll have an extended wrap-up of what went down, so WATCH THIS SPACE!
