Annual ESA Open Day for people with a disability

Registration is now open for this year’s annual ESA Open Day in the Netherlands for people with a disability, which will take place on Saturday 7 October, at the Agency’s ESTEC technical centre in Noordwijk.

This will be the 3rd annual ESA Open Day for people with a disability in the Netherlands. The venue will be our European Space Research and Technology Centre, ESTEC, which is the largest space establishment in Europe, offering visitors to the chance to meet space engineers and astronauts and see actual space hardware.

This year’s theme is ‘Science Fiction Gets Real’, highlighting how science fiction has inspired scientists and engineers to join ESA, and turn once imaginary concepts into science fact.

The idea behind the Saturday 7 October Open Day is to give visitors with a disability (and their carers) the opportunity to tour ESTEC at their own pace. It takes place as part of the Dutch Week of Accessibility, Week van de Toegankelijkheid.

The visitor route is being designed to include rest areas with refreshments available approximately every 150 m, and visitors will be able to choose whether to venture along the entire route or just part of it. The route’s door widths are standard for wheelchair accessibility.

To attend, registration is obligatory, please register here.

For further details of the Open Day, keep an eye on this webpage and social media.

This event is followed by a general ESA Open Day the next day, open to everyone.