BELFAST TO HOST UK LAUNCH OF WORLD SPACE WEEK

Thursday, October 3^rd, 2024, 14:00-18:00

Leaders in climate action are heading to Stormont for the UK launch of World Space Week on Thursday, October 3^rd. It will showcase pioneering ways climate change is being tackled using information from space and UK expertise.

The theme of this year’s World Space Week is ‘Space and Climate Change’ and current examples from around the UK of innovative climate action achievements and ambitions will be featured. A particular focus will be how UK Space Agency-funded Regional Space Clusters – including Northern Ireland – are working with local authorities to use data from space to address their urgent climate issues.

Minister for the Economy of Northern Ireland, Conor Murphy, is hosting the event and Prof Helen McCarthy, Chief Scientific and Technical Adviser for Northern Ireland, will carry out the official UK launch of World Space Week, which runs from October 4^th-10^th with events and activities around the globe.

It has been organised by the Northern Ireland Space Cluster, National Centre for Earth Observation, and Space4Climate.

Robert Hill, Chair for Matrix NI Science & Industry Panel and Manager of the NI Space Cluster, said: “Space provides us with a unique perspective from which to observe and monitor our changing climate. Northern Ireland government, academia and industry is working together to better understand how we can realise a more sustainable future. However, this is a global endeavour, and as such, we must act together collaboratively and globally to ensure an environmentally sustainable future for all.”

UK science and businesses are at the forefront of Earth Observation – gathering, analysing and applying information from satellites that image the Earth to study and monitor the impacts of climate change, much of which can only be measured from space.

Speakers at the launch event demonstrate the thriving space climate sector across the UK, investment in infrastructure for space innovation and the extent of successful regional as well as European and global collaborations. As well as Minister Murphy and Prof McCarthy, they include:

• Andrew Stanniland, CEO Thales Alenia Space UK
• Rico Santiago, Head of Business Development, Ordnance Survey for Northern Ireland
• Susanne Mecklenburg, Head of Division for Climate and Long-Term Action, European Space Agency
• Professor John Remedios, Director, National Centre for Earth Observation
• Rebecca Corey, Earth Observation Data Lead, UK Space Agency

A key message will be opportunities – including funding and investment initiatives – for the take-up of trustworthy data from space for commercial applications, novel climate products and informed climate decisions and climate action. In the audience will be data suppliers, funders, investors, policy-makers, industry leaders and climate entrepreneurs.

ENDS

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: Media representatives are welcome to attend the launch event, please contact Robert Hill robert@nispaceoffice.co.uk

For other information please email Sally Stevens s.stevens@reading.ac.uk or call 07740 674074.

IMAGE CAPTION: European Space Agency’s Fluorescence Explorer (FLEX) satellite mission, led by Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor and built in Belfast, will yield information about the health of the world’s plants. Image Credit THALES ALENIA SPACE. (More about FLEX)

Note to Editors:

Space4Climate is a stakeholder-led and funded community, founded in 2014 and chaired by the UK Space Agency, representing the UK’s world-leading Earth Observation expertise and global collaborations regarding climate data. The group members work together in delivering, sustaining and making use of trusted climate intelligence from space aim to drive global economic and societal benefit towards reaching a net zero climate resilient future. The group is hosted by the National Centre for Earth Observation at the University of Reading. For more information on Space4Climate visit www.Space4Climate.com