How we’re celebrating the final frontier this World Space Week

The nights are starting to draw in and it's time once again to explore the wonders of our solar system and beyond. 

World Space Week 2024 takes place from Friday 4 to Thursday 10 October, and this year’s theme is ‘Space and Climate Change’.

Why ‘Space and Climate Change’?

Since 1999, World Space Week has focused global attention on science and technology in relation to space outreach and exploration. Created by the United Nations General Assembly, it’s an international series of events designed to educate, inspire and unite us.

This year’s World Space Week theme of ‘Space and Climate Change’ is a big part of that aim. It highlights the vital part space exploration has to play in our continuing fight against climate change and global warming. The more we know about space, the better we can understand our own planet’s climate and how to preserve it. 

Specifically, World Space Week 2024 seeks to emphasise the importance of satellites and other space technology in tracking global environmental changes, so we can work out how best to mitigate their effects.

Portsmouth as a star on the space research world stage

Here at Portsmouth, we’re striving to add value to this ever-expanding international field, as well as helping to make the UK a hub of world-class space research.

Alongside counterparts from other universities with the Space South Central region, Portsmouth students are designing and launching their own satellite mission as part of the Joint Universities Programme for In-Orbit Training, Education and Research (JUPITER). 

As well as giving students real-world space industry skills and experience, the programme aims to showcase the pioneering work of regional space clusters like Space South Central, and how vital that work is to the UK's National Space Strategy. 

Last year, our expert academics and researchers launched a ground-breaking ‘Space Mission Incubator’ project, having earned £100K funding from the UK Space Agency.

Inspired by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, our team designed the Incubator to enable scientists to collaborate on plans for space missions using the kind of cutting-edge technology usually only found within the space industry. 

From sending satellites into orbit to designing new telescopes, the scope of what could be planned with the Incubator is vast. Echoing the aims of World Space Week 2024, one of its main objectives is to design missions that could reveal more about Earth’s own climate and how it can be protected. 

This project is just one of many initiatives happening within our Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) and the Portsmouth Research Institute for Space Missions (PRISM) - our island city’s contribution to making the UK a great space nation. 

Get involved with our World Space Week events in Portsmouth

If all of that has you inspired, why not join us at our local World Space Week events this October? 

There’s something for everyone to enjoy, and many events are free of charge. Take your pick from fascinating panel discussions with leading space experts, to family workshops or even classic intergalactic cinema.

“World Space Week is a fantastic opportunity for Portsmouth to showcase its role in the global space industry," said Dr Jen Gupta, from our Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, who is co-ordinating the events.

“Celebrating this event here allows us to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, while highlighting the incredible research and innovation happening right here in our own city. 

“We’re really looking forward to welcoming people to events and activities across the city to inspire them about space exploration!”

Highlights include the ‘Space for our Future’ expert panel talk, which will focus on how we’re all affected by the impacts of space everyday, how the space industry is evolving, and the revolutionary space research being done here in our very own city. 

Our scientists will also take a starring role in the ‘Space in the Movies: Science Fact or Fiction?’ talk being held at the iconic Spinnaker Tower in Gunwharf Quays. If you’ve ever wondered how close sci-fi cinema is to becoming reality, this one’s for you.

Or if getting to grips with a telescope is more your thing, come along to a free evening hosted by Hampshire Astronomical Group, available to book via the link below.

Browse all World Space Week events