Destination Space, a directive from the UK Space Agency and the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC), is aiming to get children to engage with STEM subjects through looking at space exploration with a new programme of events.
Its first programme ran from 2014-2017 and involved 914,000 children and adults across the country and the organisations are now launching a second one called Destination Space 2: Level 2.
Activities, workshops and shows covering the 50th anniversary of the moon landing will be put on for children, as well as events and activities around the impending launch of the James Webb space telescope and the 2021 ExoMars mission.
ASDC will direct the programme while UK Space Agency is providing funding. The organisations have reached out to 14 science centres in total across the country to put the events on, of whom six are now confirmed.
Aberdeen Science Centre and Dundee Science Centre in Scotland are participating, while the four English centres signed up are the Eden Project, Jordell Bank Discovery Centre, the National Space Centre and Winchester Science Centre.
"We can see from the families that come into the centre that space-related activities are always among the most popular," said Liz Hodge, CEO at Aberdeen Science Centre.
"The children who come in are completely awestruck by the idea of space travel and it really does encourage them to take part in science, technology, engineering and maths based activities.
"These skills are not only crucial in space exploration but in a whole array of other industries.
"Engaging them in STEM early with something as astonishing as space travel gives us the chance to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists."
Catherine Mealing-Jones, director of growth at UK Space Agency added: "The space sector is growing fast and we’ll need 30,000 more people to join it over the next decade to meet our ambitions for growth.
"In partnership with the ASDC, the UK Space Agency will bring the latest space science to children and families across the UK and help inspire the next generation of space scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs."
