Leicester Space at the British Science Festival

British Science Festival-goers will be treated to some incredible events courtesy of experts from the University of Leicester.

The national science showcase, which takes over the city of Leicester between Tuesday 13 and Saturday 17 September, will feature more than 100 free, engaging and off-the-wall installations, performances and activities.

As a principal partner of the festival, the University of Leicester is behind a series of events, which cover topics including space, skeletons, DNA and genes.

Highlights include the following talks and events:

• The Future of Space Science (Thursday 15 September, midday to 1pm, The Venue@DMU, De Montfort University): Take in an epic talk, a journey through time – guiding you through to the future of the UK’s space economy. We’ll cover future missions the UK will be involved in, delving into ground-breaking discoveries and new technologies along the way. From the James Webb Space Telescope, BepiColombo, Ariel, ExoMars, and an exciting plan to return samples from Mars. This mind-expanding panel discussion brings together world-leading experts in space policy, engineers, and scientists to discuss what the future has in store for the UK’s space economy.
• Unveiling the hidden cosmos (13 September 2022 – 11:00am, DMU). This features Piyal Samara-Ratna and his involvement in the JWST MIRI instrument.
• The Sky at Night: Question Time on the 14th Sept. (including the new Chancellor)
• Exploring Mars and the Search for Life: This is a drop in, all-day event on Saturday 17th at The Clock Tower/Humberstone Gate, talking about some of our various Mars research activities.
• The Planetary Sciences group have two stands on Thursday 15th September at Leicester Museum and Art Gallery at a museum take-over event. Henrik Melin and team are running a stand about JWST, and Jenny Carter is running a SMILE stand with collaborators from MSSL. This is a drop-in event, no need to book.

The British Science Festival is hosted by De Montfort University. The full British Science Festival 2022 programme line-up, including more events run by the University of Leicester, can be found on the website.