In June 2019, 38 participants representing 16 different countries gathered in Copenhagen for the two-day pre-conference workshop 'Space for All, Space for Earth'.

Organised by the Ecsite Space Group and the European Space Agency, ESA, this was an opportunity to interact with peers and ESA representatives around the theme of Earth Observation. World Café discussions delved into several questions: designing exhibitions, working with data, creating new connections with existing initiatives, and engaging people with societal issues linked with Earth Observation in a time of climate change skepticism.

The workshop also took participants to Planetarium Copenhagen. Two exciting behind-the-scenes visits stood out in the programme: the ‘Made in Space’ exhibition and ‘Alchemist’, a holistic gastronomy restaurant whose head chef and owner, Rasmus Munk, was fascinated as a child by the Planetarium dome theatre.

The Space Group also convened a topical conference session linking Earth Observation and citizen engagement. The Ocean was at the centre, with presentations from Ecsite members Nausicáa and AHHAA Science Centre, and the participation of ESA System Engineer Paolo Corradi who is currently working on the remote sensing of marine plastic.

The Space Group community will come together in person once more this year: the dates of the Ecsite Space Group’s Annual Meeting, which will take place at ESA's European Space Research Institute (ESRIN), will be announced in the coming weeks. Be sure not to miss the announcement by tuning in to our website and subscribing to the bi-monthly Space Group newsletter.