Credit: Asteroid Foundation
Asteroid Foundation has confirmed that it is celebrating this year's Asteroid Day in Luxembourg on Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July 2023.
The programme will focus on education on asteroids and space highlighting the importance and impact of space "down to Earth". The events are open to the public, hosted in Luxembourg and live streamed on Asteroid Day's digital platforms.
Asteroid Day is a United Nations-recognised event held each year on 30 June. It is a programme run by the Luxembourg-based Asteroid Foundation which works to inspire the world about space and asteroids, their role in the formation of our solar system, the use of space resources, space exploration and the protection of our planet from adverse asteroid impacts.
This year's programme is built on three pillars: astronaut and expert school visits, the Asteroid Day Space Lecture and the new Asteroid Day Festival.
The school visits will take place on Thursday 29 and Friday 30 June 2023. During these visits, an astronaut or scientist will deliver a 30-minute presentation, followed by a 20-minute Q&A aimed at inspiring teachers and pupils.
The Asteroid Day Space Lecture on 30 June will give students, teachers, academia and the general public a peek at the world of asteroid and space science. Scientists, engineers, mission planners and astronauts will provide a glimpse into their latest research and missions. The lecture will take place at Tramsschapp cultural centre in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg (49 Rue Ermesinde), from 16:00 to 18:00, concluding with the "Space Happy Hour" at 18:30.
The Asteroid Day Festival on 1 July aims to promote space and asteroid science among children, students and adults alike. It will bring together astronauts, engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs and offer panels on asteroid missions, science, technologies, finance in space and data sonification. This event will take place at the Tramsschapp cultural centre, between 10:00 and 18:00. It will also be live streamed on Asteroid Day’s digital platforms.
During this festival, the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA), Asteroid Foundation's main sponsor, will announce the selection of its "2023 Astronaut for a Day" programme and present 25 finalists as well as ten "reserve astronauts". Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, Franz Fayot, the Minister for Higher Education and Research, Claude Meisch, and the Minister of Sport, Georges Engel, are expected to be present on this occasion.
"Asteroid Day is an excellent opportunity to bring Luxembourg and the global space community together to learn about space, the history of our solar system, the future of space exploration and planetary defence", Markus Payer, Chair of the Asteroid Foundation said. "We want to attract young and talented people to the space sector which plays an increasingly important role in the development of our economy, sciences and society."
Participation in all events is free and open to the public. Further information about this year's Asteroid Day programme is available at: https://asteroidday.org/events-in-luxembourg/.
