Armada for Asteroid Apophis
Schedule
Fri Feb 21 2025 at 03:30 pm to 04:30 pm
UTC+00:00Location
The Deanery CE Academy | Swindon, EN
About this Event
PANEL DISCUSSION
Dr Stefania Soldini (University of Liverpool)
Dr Patrick Michel ESA RAMSES Principal Investigator [live online from Nice, France] Roland Pease, BBC Science Journalist - CHAIR
April 13 2029, Asteroid Apophis will buzz within 32,000 km of Earth. Apophis is not a threat, but a unique chance for astronomers to get a truly up-close view of an asteroid. Lessons could help us prepare defences next time one does come too close. But there is almost no time to get missions prepared to the meet, and maybe land on, the speeding space rock.
Dr Patrick Michel is leading the European effort to launch RAMSES (Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety) a year before, to chase the asteroid round the Sun and catch up just before the Earth encounter, and learn how the Earth’s environment affects it, maybe even get a selfie with Apophis behind.
Dr Stefania Soldini was on the team that deliberately crashed a NASA probe into an asteroid as an experiment in space defence. Before that was the remote pilot of a Japanese mission that tracked, landed robots on and brought back samples of another asteroid Ryugu. She’s now designing fleets of tiny cube sats that could assess dangerous asteroids in the future.
Roland Pease is a Swindon-based science journalist and Festival of Tomorrow regular.
RECOMMENDED FOR ADULTS AND TEENS
SUPPORTED BY THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY
Tickets for under 18s are FREE. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult ticketholder.
This event will take place in The Egg lecture theatre at the Deanery CE Academy
Please make your way to The Egg at least 15 minutes before the start time to help enable everyone to be seated so that the session can start on time.
Seats may be reallocated if ticket holders have not arrived by the published start time.
Plus explore our FREE Discovery Zones!
Don't forget to leave plenty of time after your show, to explore four FREE interactive Discovery Zones packed with amazing demos, intriguing exhibits, hands-on activities, challenges and free workshops from organisations including the James Dyson Foundation, Catalent, the University of Bath, Swindon Paint Festival, the European Space Agency, Kings College London, the Woodland Trust and United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Future You Zone – supported by Catalent
Delve into how your body really works and discover the innovations that are unlocking the secrets of human health, with exciting hands-on activities and demos - and the chance to participate in some real citizen science projects!
Space For the Future Zone - supported by the European Space Agency
Explore the universe with a planetarium show, imagine the technologies of the future through a space-inspired art workshop, or get hands-on with some intriguing objects.
Our World Zone
Meet the organisations who are helping to care for our environment and meeting the challenges of climate change, with lots of activities for all the family.
Future Realities Zone
Get up close and personal with the tech that is shaping our future.
AI and machine learning are changing the world. Robots can now ‘boldly go where no robots have gone before.’ But can they do the ironing? Meet T-1-FNY the only domesticated battlefield robot with Podpadstudios.
THERE'S ALWAYS SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO - MAKE SURE YOU ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME FOR YOUR VISIT!
Where is it happening?
The Deanery CE Academy, Peglars Way, Swindon, United KingdomEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00 to GBP 3.00
