Key regional players in the space industry gathered at Newcastle’s Life Science Centre today to launch World Space Week, the biggest global space event, and to hear more about Life’s ambition to provide a space experience for all North East schoolchildren.
The international celebration of science and technology, which is coordinated by the United Nations, is held annually (4-10 October), and this year is themed around space and climate change.
To mark this, people working in the region’s growing space sector, met to explore a new partnership designed to inspire the region’s school children and to make them aware of the huge variety of exciting career opportunities available in the sector.
Opening the event, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, said: “I am determined the North East becomes the home of real opportunity, and part of that will come from creating jobs in cutting-edge sectors including the space industry, which is expected to be worth over £500 billion by 2030. We can’t all hope to go into space, but we should reach for the stars in our region’s future.
“I applaud the work that Life does in raising the aspirations of young people from all backgrounds across our region, igniting the spark for our future engineers, technicians and everyone else needed to realise the North East’s space ambitions, and much else besides.”
Life offers one of the most exciting and comprehensive space engagement programmes in the North with a dedicated space zone complete with International Space Station and Mission Control and a state-of-the-art Planetarium (the biggest in the region). It offers a widespread programme from pre-school days to adult events, family experiences to school workshops – all with the purpose of igniting and nurturing an interest in space and highlighting its relevance to everyday lives.
The wide-ranging programme has received praise from astronauts including Helen Sharman, Tim Peake and Chris Hadfield, who have all visited Life.
“There is a huge variety of careers on offer in space right here in the UK. I hope this activity [at Life] sparks an interest in the future generations who will take our space sector to new heights.”
Guests at today’s event shared the science centre with school children taking part in Life’s Space Explorers programme. Funded by the Edina Trust and the UK Space Agency, this project funds schools in rural and deprived urban areas so they can learn about space and the opportunities it affords.
Life Chief Executive Linda Conlon said: “Not everyone can be an astronaut but as the North East space sector grows, it will need more and more skilled people to work in it.
“We’re excited and proud of the Life space programme that’s been rolled out so far. The next step is to expand this programme so that more kids can benefit from it and hopefully get on the path to exciting and rewarding careers in the space industry.
“World Space Week is the ideal opportunity to get together to build on this work.”
Professor Anu Ojha OBE, Director of Championing Space, UK Space Agency, added: “The North East has a rich heritage in engineering excellence and is driving forward new advancements in space technology through major projects such as NESST, backed by our Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund.
“To meet our shared ambitions, it is vital we support the development of new skills, engage proactively with people across the country and build a strong pipeline of future talent to take up the job opportunities in this fast-growing sector.
“Our work with Life through the Space for All programme is an important part of this. It delivers hands-on experiences and educational activities to local communities, highlights the vital role that space plays today, and how it will shape our future.”
To coincide with the launch of World Space Week, Life has launched a new document highlighting its extensive space engagement programme which is helping to advance the region’s position as a hub for space business and innovation.
