Surviving in space

Fifty years since the first space probe landed on the moon, Ri Lates will be exploring space, from the rocket fuel that propels us and the life of an astronaut to the scientific advances our journeys in space have given rise to. What’s life like on the ISS? How do our modern lives depend on results from the space race? And when will we be building a civilisation on Mars?

The 2015 CHRISTMAS LECTURES are all about how to survive in space – now the adults can join in, try out demos from the Lectures and hear from experts in space science and cosmology. Listen to talks in our theatre and explore the rest of the Ri for hands-on activities and demonstrations, in celebration of space exploration over the ages.

Talks

Building spacecraft
What do you need to consider when planning a spacecraft launch? How do you protect people and vehicles from the immense changes in temperature? Join Vicki Lonnon, quality assurance engineer for the European Space Agency, for a demo-filled talk all about spacecraft design.

The story of space debris
When attempting to live in space,orbiting our world, you are certainly not alone in your trajectory around Earth. Millions of pieces of space debris are currently orbiting the Earth, and only the 20,000 largest pieces can be tracked. Dr Stuart Grey, lecturer at University College London, tells the story of where it all came from, what it is made of, and what might become of it all as our plans to get into space are only developing further.

Space medicine
Living in space pushes the human body and mind to the limits. How do they respond to the extreme isolation and confinement of living in space? And what stressors might impose themselves on astronauts? Concordia Station in Antarctica was set up in 2005 and is one of the best Earth-based replicators of life on long-term space missions. Join ESA-sponsored medical doctor Beth Healey as she explains what research she was doing there last year, and how this might impact space medicine.