Space meets European science museums at Ecsite 2012, Toulouse, France

For the first time, ‘space’ will be the main theme of the Ecsite annual conference that opens this year in Toulouse, France, on 31 May.

Ecsite is the European network of more than 400 science centres and museums in 50 countries, and its annual conference is the leading meeting of science communicators in Europe, bringing together 1000 professionals in the field.

This year, ESA is playing a major role in the conference, which is being held at the Pierre Baudis Congress Centre in Toulouse, 31 May to 2 June.

As announced in the special video message from the International Space Station at last year’s event in Warsaw, ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli will be one of the key speakers at the opening ceremony under the theme ‘Space and Time Unlimited’.

A preconference workshop concerning ‘Communicating European Achievements in Space’ is being organised by Ecsite, Cité de l’Espace and ESA on 30 May at the Cité de l’Espace to highlight collaborations with museums across Europe and to open discussions for new future space-themed collaborations.

This initiative also offers museums the opportunity to meet and talk to representatives from space industries and national space agencies.

During the conference, a special ESA exhibition ‘Space for Earth’ will allow attendees to learn more about European space activities. Stunning images and an innovative mini-projection room will be on display at the Congress Centre.

They will show the latest European achievements and future missions in the exploration of the Solar System, along with the deep space, Earth observation and meteorology, satellite communications and navigation systems as well as launchers, human spaceflight and space laboratories.

Organised every year by Ecsite, the Business Bistro will be the ideal platform for professionals and institutions to present new science communication tools.

In this area, ESA will promote its exhibition materials, available online in different languages for downloading by museums and science centres for their own events.

For further information, please contact:

Catherine Franche
Ecsite Executive Director
Tel.:+32(0)26497383
e-mail: info@ecsite.eu

Maria Menendez
Head of Exhibitions and Images
Communication Department
Tel.: + 33(0)15369 7167
e-mail: Maria.Menendez@esa.int

Marc Moutin
Director of Exhibitions at Cité de l'Espace
Tel.:+33(0)5 62 71 56 03
e-mail: m.moutin@cite-espace.com

Fiorella Coliolo
ExoWorld, freelance for ESA
Tel.: +33(0)650030885
e-mail: fcoliolo@exoworld.net