Connecting audiences with space at Ecsite 2025
Right before Ecsite’s 2025 Annual Conference kicked off at the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw, the European Space Agency hosted its Space Group workshop with museums and science centres on 3 June 2025. Space communication professionals from around the globe gathered on this occasion for a day of knowledge exchange, collaboration, and inspiration.
The Ecsite space group took centre stage in engaging participants on communicating space science. Led by ESA, the group hosted a full day of activities, tailored for science centres, museums, and space-related professionals across Europe and beyond. The workshop was a great platform to establish meaningful connections within the space communication community and set the stage for new collaborations to expand public engagement with space.
Deep diving into space communication
The day began with “Deep dive into space communication”, highlighted by a captivating live planetarium show, with outstanding ABBA soundtrack. Emmet Fletcher, Head of the Member States Outreach Office, showcased ESA’s current outreach initiatives designed to make space more accessible and engaging for the public, while Kai Noeske’s presentation focussed on ESA’s recent scientific achievements and upcoming missions.
They were then followed by a roundtable discussion on how to strengthen collaboration between science centres and space institutions to engage broader audiences. Contributors included representatives from ESERO Poland, Ciência Viva (Portugal), and the Center Noordung (Slovenia). Highlights also included a presentation by the Natural History Museum (UK) on their exhibition “Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?” alongside a showcase of imaginative public engagement initiatives.
Immersive technologies to engage audience with space
In the afternoon, the session "Exploring the Cosmos: An Immersive Journey Through the Solar System and Beyond with the European Space Agency" focussed on immersive technologies. Experts from ESA, Ars Electronica (Austria), the Natural History Museum in London (UK) and the National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan (Italy) discussed the opportunities and challenges of virtual reality, digitalisation and other interactive tools which can transform the way space science is experienced, without losing the value of physical interaction.
ESA at the Ecsite Tradeshow
Throughout the conference, ESA hosted a booth at the Ecsite tradeshow, featuring a dedicated area highlighting the work of the Ecsite Space Group. Visitors could explore recent initiatives, meet group members, and discover how to become part of this dynamic network.
Coming up
The next Space Group Annual Meeting will be held at ESA’s European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Madrid, in December 2025.
Looking ahead to 2026, Ecsite’s Annual Conference will head to Sweden, hosted by Universum in Gothenburg.
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