Overview
Sydney Science Festival is blasting off for a special space-themed edition this spring. Presented by Powerhouse Museum, the festival will run from Saturday, September 27 to Saturday, October 4 as part of the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) for IAC 2025 Space Week — the world's largest annual space gathering, which is landing in Sydney for the very first time.
The program will bring the global space community to the Harbour City for a week of free and ticketed talks, workshops, interactive experiences and family-friendly fun. From recording your very own message to be broadcast in space to meeting real-life astronauts, these are the must-attend events that'll give you a chance to explore the final frontier, no rocket required.
HUMANS Deep Space Message
In 1977, NASA's Voyager spacecraft carried the first Golden Records into deep space as a time capsule to communicate information about Earth and its inhabitants, sent in case they were ever found by intelligent extraterrestrial life. Fifty years on, you can help create the next chapter in that story. The Humanity United with MIT Art and Nanotechnology in Space project — or HUMANS — invites people from around the world to record their own short message for a new deep-space broadcast scheduled for 2027.
Whether you want to share a message of hope, a cultural insight or just say g'day to the cosmos, you can add your voice at Sydney Science Festival events at ICC Sydney or Parramatta Town Hall — or online from anywhere on Earth.
Space Now
What does the future of space missions look like — and why does it matter here on Earth? Space Now brings together three global leaders in the field to unpack the innovations shaping the new space age, from lunar rovers to next-gen spacesuits. Katherine Bennell-Pegg (Australian astronaut at the Australian Space Agency), Hannah Ashford (Co-Founder of The Karman Project, a non-profit that promotes peace and security in space) and Sami Raines (Senior Engineer at ELO2, Australia's first lunar rover consortium) will share their insights on collaboration, technology and exploration in a rapidly changing space landscape.
Astronauts Forum
Ever wondered what it's like to live and work in space? Katherine Bennell-Pegg (pictured above), Australia's first qualified astronaut, will host an unmissable conversation with spacefarers from NASA, the Australian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, AXIOM, SpaceX and more. Expect stories of zero-gravity science, life aboard spacecraft and what it feels like to return to Earth after orbit.
Lunar Horizons in Fortnite
You won't need a spacesuit for this mission. Lunar Horizon invites you to explore a realistic moon landscape in a custom Fortnite mission created by Hassell, Epic Games and the European Space Agency. At this interactive blend of gaming, architecture and science, you'll be able to gather resources to build a lunar habitat as you traverse a realistic lunar landscape and chat with astronauts, all while learning about real-life missions and the future of human space exploration. This event is recommended for ages 15+.
Science of Space
There's something for all ages at this full day of fascinating talks that look at how space science is shaping life on Earth. Leading experts and creatives will explore breakthroughs in space food, commercial spaceflight, cosmic art and automation, as space nutritionist Dr Flávia Fayet-Moore, AI pioneer Michael Kemeny, visionary designer Dr Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian and commercial astronaut Dr Chris Boshuizen unpack the future of our cosmic frontier.
Sydney Science Festival, presented by Powerhouse, will take place across various Sydney venues from Saturday, September 27 to Saturday, October 4. For more information and full program details, head to the Sydney Science Festival website.