03/07/2024
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Thousands of visitors flocked to ESA’s establishment in the UK last Saturday to experience first-hand how the agency is pushing the boundaries of exploration and using space to improve life on Earth.
This was ESA’s very first open day to be held at its European Centre for Space Applications and Telecommunications (ECSAT), located at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.
Part of the campus-wide Harwell open week, the event’s packed programme of talks and hands-on demonstrations launched visitors on an inspiring journey through ECSAT’s activities, showing how expert teams at the site are collaborating with partners on campus, the UK and across ESA’s member states for the benefit of European citizens.
After months of preparations, the ESA open day at ECSAT and the final day of Harwell campus open week coincided with soaring temperatures and clear blue skies, with some 20 000 people making their way to Harwell to explore behind the scenes at the UK’s leading science and innovation campus.
The ESA open day, hosted by ESA’s Magali Vaissiere Conference Centre, kicked off with a welcome to ECSAT from its head of establishment Laurent Jaffart, followed by a Q&A with British ESA astronaut Rosemary Coogan and British ESA astronaut reserve Meganne Christian that was attended by a packed audience of space enthusiasts of all ages.
Many other fascinating talks on space, science and engineering topics took place throughout the day, as well as a unique climate-inspired fashion show created thanks to ESA’s collaboration with climate-conscious fashion label Tammam.
Visitors also took part in hands-on demonstrations to explore the different activities taking place at ECSAT.
People were invited to enter mixed reality worlds to learn about space-enabled connectivity and were given the chance to explore our changing environment through the eyes of Earth observing satellites. ECSAT exploration experts were also on hand to show visitors how they are helping prepare for future missions to the Moon and beyond.
Discover more about ESA open day at ECSAT in the images below: