ESA at Ecsite 2014
‘People, Planet and Peace’ is the theme of Ecsite’s annual conference in Den Haag, the Netherlands, on 20–24 May. Ecsite, the European Network of Science Centres and Museums, is a non-profit European network that brings together more than 400 science centres and museums in 50 countries.
Ecsite was founded 20 years ago through projects and activities that facilitate the exchange of ideas and best practice of science communication issues.
Workshop on Rosetta and beyond
Further to the creation of the Space Group, ESA is supporting the vibrant Ecsite ‘Hook up with Rosetta’ campaign, which involves more than 40 science centres and museums from 12 ESA Member States.
The group is led by Marc Moutin, Director of Exhibitions at Cité de l’Espace, Ana Noronha, Executive Director of Ciência Viva, Lisbon, Portugal, and Maria Menendez, Head of ESA Corporate Exhibitions and Events.
A preconference workshop on ‘Working Together: ESA’s Rosetta mission and beyond’ will be held by Ecsite and ESA on 20–21 May at the Museon in Den Haag to highlight collaborations with museums across Europe, and to present the three pilot collaborative projects based on ESA’s Rosetta mission that were selected during the annual conference in 2013.
The pilot projects are: an exhibition project led by La Cité de l’Espace (Toulouse, France), an education project led by NEMO (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), and the definition of a set of events led by Parque de las Ciencias (Granada).
On the first day of the workshop, key speakers will be: Juan de Dalmau, Head of ESA/ESTEC Communication Office; Mark McCaughrean, Senior Scientific Advisor; Markus Bauer, Science and Robotic Exploration Communication Officer; Jasper Wamsteker, Head of Communication and Education, Netherlands Space Office; and Hella van Leeuwen, Manager Internal & External Communications, SpaceNed.
On the second day, the Ecsite space group will visit ESA’s Technical Centre, ESTEC, and Space Expo, the visitors’ centre for ESA in the Netherlands.
The ESTEC visit will include the participation of Franco Ongaro, ESA Director of Technical and Quality Management and Head of ESTEC Establishment, and Gerhard Thiele, ESA astronaut and Head of Strategic Planning and Outreach in the Directorate of Human Spaceflight and Operations.
In the afternoon the group will visit Space Expo with Rob van den Berg, Director of the museum, and will have the opportunity to participate in the Rosetta ‘Cook your own Comet’ workshop.
Space Group session Space, Peace and Love
The Space Group is organising a session entitled ‘Space, Peace and Love’. This is a speed-dating-style session in which delegates will have the opportunity to discuss various topics around peaceful purposes of space with space experts teamed up with a science centre expert.
ESA will participate with two space experts: Juan de Dalmau, Head of ESA/ESTEC Communication Office, and Guido Levrini, ESA Copernicus Space Segment Programme Manager.
ESA at the Business Bistro
ESA will also be present at the traditional Ecsite Business Bistro, a place for professionals and institutions to present new science communication tools. This year, the ESA stand will be the ideal platform to present and promote the pilot projects:
– An exhibit, led by Cité de l’Espace, which includes a set of panels and interactive devices to raise awareness of the Rosetta mission to the general public in a playful and educational way.
– A set of events, led by Parque de la Ciencias, which aims to trigger interest in the Rosetta mission using informal and festive settings.
– An education project, led by NEMO, which consists of a children’s workshop with interactive lecture-elements that can be run in a science centre/museum for both school groups and recreational visitors. The workshop is based on the concept of a comet as a time capsule.
Ecsite and ESA: building a partnership
In early 2012, ESA and Ecsite began to combine their strengths in content, networks and capacities in order to reach the largest European audience possible.
“Together,” says Fernando Doblas, Head of ESA’s Communication Department, “we are implementing a partnership project aiming at sharing European space achievements with our fellow citizens, thanks to the leverage provided by European science centres and museums.
“This partnership with Ecsite is strategically important for ESA because science centres and museums are trusted by the public as independent sources of information. It is also their daily business to share scientific and technical achievements with a public of all ages.”
For further information, please contact:
Maria Menendez
ESA Head of Corporate Exhibitions and Events Office, Communication Department
Tel: +33 1 53 69 7167
Email: maria.menendez@esa.int
Fiorella Coliolo
Space Group Coordinator, consultant for ESA
Mob: +33 6 50 03 0885
Email: fcoliolo@exoworld.net
