MiniBlog: Space Futures for World Space Week

  • 7th Oct 2026

Join us for a new series of #MiniBlogs - short reads which give you an insight into just what the National Space Academy gets up to!

Today, our awesome Head of Teaching and Learning, Sophie Allan, is here to talk about the Space Futures: Skills for Tomorrow Programme which ran during this year's World Space Week...

Sophie And Natasha Space Futures 1

The Space Futures event saw a programme of live sessions taking place at the hosted at our headquarters, the National Space Centre with local Year 10s in attendance. Sessions were filmed, meaning that a whole day of live online content was beamed into classrooms and homes across the UK to thousands of learners.

I led the four online discovery sessions looking at how each element of STEM applies within the UK space industry and beyond, including hands on activities.

Sophie And Natasha Space Futures 2

We explored how AI and machine learning is carefully used to classify space objects and monitor dangerous space junk. We discovered how the microgravity environment on the ISS is perfect for unique research affecting everything from materials to medicine. And we dived into how maths helps us save the world and much, much more!

Each discovery session was followed by a panel discussion with experts from the space industry discussing skills, innovation and challenges in space today, and was brilliantly hosted by Space Park Leicester's Natasha Carr.