An Exciting Week Exploring Space and Innovation
Explorium, Ireland’s National Sport and Science Centre, hosted an unforgettable Space Week 2024, packed with exciting events and a lineup of inspiring speakers. Themed Space & Climate, this year’s celebration brought together space enthusiasts, curious minds, and some of the brightest figures in space exploration to explore how outer space is influencing our understanding of Earth’s climate—and even the search for life beyond.
Space Week kicked off with a talk from James Murphy, Space Software Manager at Réaltra (Irish word for Galaxy), on space software and AI engineering in Ireland. He also introduced a guest virtual appearance from Dr. Norah Patten, who will become Ireland's first astronaut!
Next, we had a deep dive into one of the most exciting questions of our time: Finding Aliens. Delivered by Professor Oisín Creaner, this popular talk on Saturday, October 5th, had everyone buzzing as Creaner explored the cutting-edge techniques scientists use to hunt for extraterrestrial life. Due to popular demand, Prof. Creaner is returning for Science Week, giving even more visitors the chance to ponder: are we alone in the universe?
On Sunday, October 6th, Dr. Niamh Shaw, European Space Agency (ESA) Champion for Space Education, shared her fascinating experiences on Living on Mars and the Moon. Dr. Shaw captivated the audience with stories of her zero gravity flight, witnessing live launches & landings of astronaut crews, and her simulated Mars missions. Through all of this, Dr. Shaw reminded us of the delicate balance between human survival and our planet's health.
One of the most exciting parts of Space Week 2024 was the chance to meet not one, but two real-life astronauts! NASA veterans Steve Swanson and Daniel Tani both graced the stage, sharing their incredible stories of life aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Steve Swanson, a two-time space shuttle astronaut and former ISS commander, gave a thrilling talk on the Wednesday of Space Week, providing a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to live and work in space. His experience of seeing Earth from orbit tied beautifully into the Space Week theme of climate awareness, as he described the fragile beauty of our planet from above.
Daniel Tani, who spent over four months aboard the ISS, shared his journey with all of Explorium’s visitors for the free Space Week event. His inspiring talk covered everything from the daily routines of an astronaut to the groundbreaking scientific experiments conducted in microgravity, highlighting the crucial role space plays in helping us understand Earth’s ecosystems and climate.
The EIRSAT-1 team from University College Dublin (UCD) made history by developing Ireland's first satellite. We were delighted to have the team come to Explorium with astronaut Dan Tani to meet the Irish public. Dr. David McKeown gave a talk on how they designed, built, tested, launched, and monitor the satellite and its incredible research into gamma-ray bursts and the satellite orientation control and durability out in space! Read more here.
Cian O'Toole, a PhD student specialising in exoplanet research, highlighted the reach of Irish space research and took visitors on a journey far beyond our solar system. His talk, Weather on Worlds Beyond Our Own, explored the wild and fascinating climates of alien planets—revealing that even worlds light-years away may hold clues to understanding planetary weather systems, including our own!
In addition to the captivating talks, Space Week 2024 offered a range of hands-on activities for visitors of all ages. Explorium’s Space-Themed Maker Labs let aspiring engineers and scientists get creative with space-themed inventions, while the Augmented Reality Space Walks gave guests the chance to feel like astronauts themselves, walking in space without leaving Earth!
From the excitement of meeting astronauts to learning how space exploration connects with climate science, this year's event was an inspiring reminder of the endless possibilities that lie beyond our planet. We can’t wait to see what Space Week 2025 has in store!
Missed Space Week? Don't worry! Explorium has a month of Science-themed events this November—Get in touch at info@explorium.ie.
Stay tuned for more exciting science events at Explorium, where science and wonder meet!
