Former Nasa astronaut Dan Tani leads Space Week 2025 Road Trip
Life
Pictured: Laura Sullivan, Danielle Wilcox, Francis McCarthy, and Donal O Donoval, MTU
Space Week Ireland returns from 4-10 October 2025 with a new theme: Living in Space. Coordinated by MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory (BCO), the week invites students, families, community groups, artists, engineers and the wider space community to explore how life on Earth can inform life beyond it – from caves and controlled habitats to stars, galaxies, black holes and supernovas.
The programme blasts off with a Space Week Roadtrip, bringing astronauts and science communicators directly into communities across the country to spark imagination and curiosity. Former NASA astronaut Dan Tani will be joined on the road by Dr. Niall Smith, head of research, MTU and head of Blackrock Castle Observatory, for a series of public and school engagements across Cork, Kerry and Limerick.
The celebrations get underway with a family-friendly Space Week Festival at the Cork School of Music. Audiences will hear first-hand about life in space from Dan Tani, delve into the hazards of space living with Dr. Lisa McNamee, and explore the impact of high-energy particles (like the sun) on human health with Dr Josh Reynolds. Interactive displays and hands-on workshops will bring science to life for children and families.
On Monday 6 October, the Road Trip visits Tralee Library, Co. Kerry for a special primary school session titled ‘Living in Space, with Nasa astronaut Dan Tani and astronomer Dr. Niall Smith Join astronaut Dan Tani as he shares his experiences from living onboard the international Space Station.
In addition to in-person events, the public can follow the Space Week Ireland Road Trip virtually via the BCO YouTube channel. Viewers are encouraged to subscribe in advance to receive livestream notifications from each location and to dive into Space Week TV, a growing library of short, accessible videos on space science – from the night sky and space art to space-themed video games and more.
Other highlights include an ESERO Ireland Space Careers Roadshow at MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, a Nasa Space Apps event in Athlone and other activities at Galway Atlantaquaria, and Maynooth University.
“Living and working in space is one of the most extraordinary experiences a human being can have,” said Tani. “You see Earth from orbit and realise how fragile and beautiful it really is. Being involved with the Space Week Ireland Road Trip gives me the chance to share that perspective – not just the adventure of floating in zero gravity, but the ingenuity, teamwork, and resilience it takes to thrive in such an extreme environment. I hope it inspires students here in Ireland to see themselves as part of humanity’s journey to the stars.”
Dr. Smith added: “The challenge of living in space is moving from short-term habitability of a small number of people in space stations to longer term colonisation of villages of people on the Moon and ultimately Mars and perhaps beyond. There are enormous challenges in meeting this vision to become a multi-planet species, but equally there are enormous opportunities. Rarely has human living in space been more exciting.”
Space Week is a nationwide, open-invitation series. Schools, clubs, organisations and community groups can quickly add their activities – large or small, public or private, free or ticketed – to the national listings. Early registrations benefit from promotional amplification and automatic entry into a draw for Space Week prizes.
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