Join us for a family-friendly celebration of space discovery at MSSL, featuring exciting talks and activities that are out of this world!

Hosted by Professor Andrew Fazakerley, the UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) Open Day will celebrate the bicentenary of UCL and the recent missions that MSSL has been involved in and is preparing for.

At this free event guests will be invited to listen to talks on our exciting missions, explore our discovery hubs focusing on space missions, including Euclid, Solar Orbiter, ExoMars, SMILE, PLATO, SOLAR-C, VIGIL, Gaia and Hinode as well as enjoy demonstrations including water rockets and have the chance to handle an actual meteorite sample and explore a treasure trail.

Register for this free event to book your place at a full day of space mission talks, scientific demonstrations and other fun activities. Most activities are drop-in throughout the day, but tickets to attend the event are first-come first-served.

Agenda

10:00am - Guests invited to explore discovery hubs, experience talks and enjoy demonstrations

10:30am – The ExoMars mission: looking for life on Mars

11:00am – The Solar Orbiter mission: exploring the Sun and the heliosphere

12:00pm – The PLATO mission: discovering planets around other stars

12:30pm Hinode: 20 years of exploring the Sun

1:30pm – The Euclid mission: dark energy and dark matter in the Universe

2:00pm – The SMILE mission: imaging the Earth’s magnetic field

3:00pm – The Gaia mission: mapping the Milky Way

4:00pm - Event Ends

Lunch & Refreshments

Free lunch and refreshments will be available for guests from food vans including Hurtwood Horsebox Pizzas and the Frying Squad. We will also have an ice cream van on site.

If you have any specific accessibility needs, please don't hesitate to get in touch: office@mssl.ucl.ac.uk

UCL Mullard Space Science Laboratory

UCL was one of the first universities in the world to become involved in making scientific observations in space. Since MSSL was established in 1966, it has made key instrument contributions for 87 scientific satellites involved in 74 launches. MSSL and its predecessor based in Gower Street have also participated in 224 sounding rocket experiments. Currently there are 15 instruments in active use in space. MSSL is currently preparing instruments for 4 more scientific missions.

This UCL200 event is an Open Day at UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL). The laboratory is located in a Victorian mansion set in 30 acres of land in the Surrey Hills, 35 miles from London, with spectacular views across the Surrey and Sussex countryside. The event will highlight several of MSSL’s space science missions, both currently operating and in preparation, providing a look at both the scientific aims and the engineering challenges of these missions.

How to find us

MSSL lies approximately 35 miles to the south-west of central London, in the centre of the Guildford/Dorking/Horsham 'triangle'. We will be running a railway shuttle bus service for visitors running approximately every 30-45 minutes between Woking and MSSL. There are 6 fast trains per hour (24 min journey) from London Waterloo to Woking on Saturdays.

Parking

Parking for visitors arriving by car will be provided at Hurtwood Park Polo Club, with a park-and-ride bus service (10 min duration) running regularly between the car park and MSSL. The address for Hurtwood Park Polo Club car park is Horsham Lane, Ewhurst Green, Surrey, GU6 7SW. Find this location on Google Maps.

Description supplied by the event organiser.