Best Space Events to Attend in June 2024: The UK & Around the Globe

The first month of summer in 2024 is going to be full of exciting space events you can’t miss, whether you are looking for fun ways to spend a family weekend or actually boost your knowledge on dark matter, the latest news in space exploration, and satellite technology. So, let’s see what June has to offer, and we’ll start with the UK.

UK Space Events

Guardians of the Galaxy: Delivering a Cyber-Secure Space

When? 6 June

Where? Cheltenham Town Centre Location, TBC Cheltenham GL50 United Kingdom

Designed for professionals and those interested in cyber security, space technology, and related fields, this event offers a comprehensive programme.

The first half of the event will be dedicated to understanding the importance of space security. You’ll learn about the crucial role space infrastructure plays in the delivery of services for our everyday lives and the substantial economic impact of disruptions to space-based services. As reliance on the space domain continues to grow, the need to ensure that services are secure, available, and assured becomes fundamental to UK prosperity and security.

Through the UK Space Industrial Plan, the UK Government sets out an ambitious and accelerated plan to deliver national space capability goals in five specific areas: Space Domain Awareness, In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing (IOSM), Space Data for Earth Applications, Position, Navigation and Timing, Satellite Communications Technology.

Fun Kids Space Station Sleepover at the National Space Centre, Leicester

When? 8 June

Where? National Space Centre, Exploration Drive Leicester LE4 5NS United Kingdom

Explore the wonders of space, get hands-on with incredible experiments, and take part in a thrilling sleepover amongst out-of-this-world artefacts at the UK’s number one space centre!

Ignite Space 2024

When? 11-12 June

Where? Royal Armouries Conference and Events, Armouries Way Leeds LS10 1NF United Kingdom

Acting as a catalyst for commercial success, the Ignite Space Conference and Exhibition 2024 will create opportunities for you and your business to engage with new customers, collaborators and investors within the UK space industry and its supply chain. Showcasing an industry worth more than £17.5bn to the UK economy, this event will accelerate growth and collaboration across the sector.

Instant Expert: Decoding the Cosmos

When? 15 June

Where? Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square London WC1R 4RL United Kingdom

From the earliest humans to today, we have always looked at the night sky with a sense of awe. Today, using some of the most advanced technology, from giant space telescopes to particle accelerators buried deep underground, scientists are revealing more than ever about the universe we call home. Join a renowned line-up of researchers as they unveil the most recent discoveries that are reshaping our understanding of the universe. From the nature of dark matter to the search for life on other planets, you’ll explore the frontiers of knowledge and uncover the mind-blowing secrets held within the vast expanse of space.

Family Space Show

When? 15-16 June

Where? Imperial College London, Room LT 200, City and Guilds Building, Exhibition Road London SW7 2AZ United Kingdom

Explore distant planets, see a rocket blast off and find out what comets are really made from. You’ll discover how scientists get into space, how they stay safe, learn about some of the amazing moons and planets in our solar system and more! This is a free science show for families (most suitable for ages 7+).

Great Exhibition Road Festival

When? 15-16 June

Where? South Kensington, London

It’s a free annual celebration of science and the arts each summer in South Kensington, a weekend of free science and arts events for all ages.

Enjoy hands-on workshops, fascinating talks, performances and installations from iconic museums, research and culture organisations, including Imperial College London, the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A and many more. 

There will be a space zone where you can make your own ping pong comets, code a model Mars rover, and enjoy beautiful images of the surface of Venus. Learn about the technology supporting human and robotic exploration of the cosmos by sending interplanetary messages using microwave lasers or tracking satellites passing overhead in real-time.

Swansea University Space Research Symposium

When? 19 June

Where? Swansea University (Bay Campus) Skewen SA1 8DD United Kingdom

It’s an exciting selection of short talks. The event will feature engaging space research talks from both Swansea University staff and leading space companies. Whether you’re a space enthusiast or just curious to find out what Swansea University and leading UK companies are working on, come and discover the wonders of space research!

Black Holes – the key to understanding the universe

When? 24 June

Where? International Anthony Burgess Foundation, 3 Cambridge Street Manchester M1 5BY United Kingdom

Black holes are fascinating objects because of the way they force us to address the biggest questions in physics, such as the essential nature of space and time.

Jeff Forshaw will introduce black holes and go on to examine the consequences of trying to track the flow of information into and out of a black hole. Recent insights indicate that space and time are emergent features related to key concepts, including “quantum entanglement”, and in a fashion that resembles “quantum error correcting codes”, such as are needed to make stable quantum computers.

International Satcoms Conference

When? 24-25 June

Where? London, UK

The International Satcoms conference brings expert speakers from around the world to share the latest policies, trends, and updates in the defence and commercial sectors. the Milsatcoms track has been running for over 20 years. It provides a forum for government regulators, military agencies, satellite operators and technology providers to share project updates, market developments, technology trends and emerging opportunities for the Military satellite communications industry.

Worldwide Space Events

Future Military Space Technology USA

When? 3-4 June

Where? Renaissance Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA

Are you eager to gain a profound understanding of the United States Space Force’s (USSF) vision for the future of military space and the driving factors behind it? The upcoming Future Military Space Technology USA conference offers you an invaluable opportunity to not only comprehend the USSF’s goals but also actively contribute to shaping our collective future.

At this event, you will delve into the USSF’s approach, gaining insights that will empower you to work effectively towards future goals. You will be presented with a unique opportunity to understand and actively participate in USSF’s pivot towards greater speed, agility, and innovation in acquisition and deployment.

7th SmallSat & Space Access Summit

When? 5-6 June

Where? Sunset Room at National Harbor 137 National Plaza, Oxon Hill, MD, United States

It’s the 7^th Annual SmallSat & Space Access Summit. This comprehensive two-day event will bring together leaders across DoD, the Federal Government, IC, and industry to discuss advancements in commercial and government small spacecraft and launch capabilities. This forum will also address current efforts toward building an agile and reliable space architecture that includes the proliferation of small satellite systems.

ILA Berlin

When? 5-9 June

Where? BER Airport, Berlin, Germany

Every two years, ILA Berlin brings the global aerospace industry to the heart of Europe. For five days, Europe’s leading aerospace trade fair transforms Berlin into an international aerospace hub. Industry representatives, policymakers, armed forces and academia come together under the motto #PioneeringAerospace to discuss current challenges and opportunities. Exhibitors from all over the world present their latest developments, innovative solutions, and research projects around the three key topics Innovation, New Technologies and Sustainability.

Seattle Space Week

When? 8-13 June

Where? Museum of Flight 9404 E. Marginal Way, Seattle, WA, United States

Dive into the heart of the Pacific Northwest’s space industry during Seattle Space Week. Discover engaging events for business leaders, policymakers, industry professionals – and you! Take part in the region’s thriving space economy and entrepreneurial spirit. 

EXPADEO

When? 12-13 June

Where? Rue Félix Hap 11, 1040 Etterbeek, Brussels & ONLINE

EXPANDEO, the European Association of Remote Sensing Companies (EARSC)’s annual event, where the market meets, provides a key platform for European Earth Observation companies, institutional actors and various other stakeholders to interact and network, learn about current policies and their impact on the industry, as well as reflect on challenges and explore new horizons.

17^th Spacecraft Charging Technology Conference

When? 17 June

Where? Avignon, France

The Spacecraft Charging and Technology Conference is an international forum focusing on the science and technology of electrical charging of spacecraft by the space environment. Contributions are sought on a broad range of technology and science topics concerning the interaction of spacecraft with the charged particle environment and environmental impacts on spacecraft.

AI for Space Workshop 

When? 17 June

Where? Seattle Conference Centre 705 Pike Street, Seattle, WA, WA, United States

The general emphasis of AI4Space is vision and learning algorithms for autonomous space systems, which operate in the Earth’s orbital regions, cislunar orbit, planetary bodies (e.g., the moon, Mars and asteroids), and interplanetary space.

A specific list of topics is as follows:

• Vision and learning for spacecraft navigation and operations (e.g., rendezvous, proximity operations, docking, space maneuvers, entry descent landing).
• Vision and learning for space robots (e.g., rovers, UAVs, UGVs, UUWs) and multi-agent systems.
• Mapping and global positioning on planetary bodies (moon, Mars, asteroids), including celestial positioning.
• Onboard AI for Earth observation applications (e.g. near-real-time disaster monitoring, distributed learning on satellites, tip and cue satellite-based systems).
• Onboard AI for satellite operations (e.g. AI-based star trackers, fault detection isolation and recovery).
• Space debris monitoring and mitigation.
• Sensors for space applications (e.g., optical, multispectral, lidar, radar, neuromorphic).
• Onboard compute hardware for vision and learning (e.g., neural network accelerators, neuromorphic processors).
• Mitigating challenges of the space environment (e.g., radiation, thermal) to vision and learning systems.
• Datasets, transfer learning and domain gap.

Les Assises du NewSpace the annual French NewSpace meeting event

When? 25-26 June

Where? Paris la Defense 99 Jard. de l’Arche, Nanterre, France

The advent of NewSpace is introducing new applications, transforming the space industry, and prompting legacy players to evolve their strategies in response to the numerous initiatives from new entrants, digital players, startups, and major clients over the past decade. This strategic and impactful sector, now more accessible, opens up a vast array of opportunities that French space actors must seize in a competition that has naturally become global.