We are thrilled to announce that this year's Ecsite Space Group's pre-conference workshop "Space for Life: engaging audiences" held at the Ecsite Annual Conference 2018 in Geneva, Switzerland, will feature two very exciting speakers from the Swiss Space community!

With a 40-year career as an ESA astronaut, four Shuttle missions and numerous other projects on board, Claude Nicollier will share on Day 1 of the workshop his perspective on Space Exploration: the steps taken today to lay the foundation for future journeys to far away destinations. Claude Nicollier is currently Professor Emeritus in Aerospace Engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.

Day 2 will take us to the University of Geneva's Observatory at Sauverny, where Michel Mayor will address workshop attendees about his discovery, together with PhD student Didier Queloz, of the first extrasolar planet, 51 Pegasi b, a turning point in astronomical research. Michel Mayor is an honorary professor at the University of Geneva and remains active as a researcher at the observatory.

Other exciting sessions on offer during the pre-conference workshop include an interactive fishbowl discussion on engagement scenarios around the question "Is there Life out there?" and a hands-on exploration of the Ecsite Space Group’s upcoming resource, the board game “Alive!" as well as various exchanges with ESA representatives and peers.

More information about the pre-conference workshop programme is available here.