World Space Week 2025 at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

In the framework of the World Space Week celebration, the Section of Astrophysics of the Department of Physics organized on Saturday, October 18^th, 2025, an event for both children and adults, featuring activities and lectures according to this years’ theme “Life in Space”. The event took place at the premises of the Department of Physics under the guidance and supervision of Professor of Space Physics, Ioannis Daglis, with the valuable contribution of undergraduate and postgraduate students, PhD candidates, and postdoctoral researchers.

The coordinating team consisted of: Adamantia Dimitrakoula, Agapitos Dovles, Daniil Papakonstantinou, and Eleftheria Sotiriou, students and members of the Space Physics Group.

The event was particularly successful, attracting more than 400 visitors of all ages.

The program included the following activities.

• Interactive astronaut training under the guidance of the NAO robot.
• Experiment demonstration “Discovering Microgravity”, supported by the Hellenic Space Center (https://hsc.gov.gr/).
• Experiment demonstration “Chasing Cosmic Rays in a Cloud Chamber”.
• Experiment demonstration “Cooking a Comet”, an activity proposed by the European Space Agency (ESA) (https://www.esa.int/).
• Virtual tour of the International Space Station (ISS) using virtual reality headsets, within the framework of the ESA SCOTSS initiative (https://business.esa.int/projects/scotss).
• Virtual spacecraft launch and analog mission presentation to planet Mars, supported by the European EXPLORE project (https://explore-project.eu/).
• Interactive presentation “How Does a Telescope Work?”.
• Interactive quiz game on the theme “Life in Space”.
• Presentation on “Life in the Universe”.
• Interactive game “Kerbal Space Program”.
• Interactive presentation “A Cosmic Nursery”.
• Designing ultraviolet radiation detectors.
• Arts, crafts, and space-themed creations for our young visitors.
• Screening of the episode “Blues for a Red Planet” from the documentary series COSMOS.
• Keynote talk titled “Space as a Vital Domain for Humanity” by Professor Ioannis Daglis, Professor of Space Physics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

The evening culminated in night-sky observation via telescopes on the rooftop of the Department of Physics, in collaboration with amateur astronomers.

The successful implementation of the event was ensured through the enthusiastic work and decisive contribution of students, university members, and external collaborators who organized and led the various activities: Thanasis Avramopoulos, Giorgos Athanasopoulos, Olga Belli, Zoe Boutsi, Anastasis Boutsikos,  Margarita Gega, Ioannis Dellis, Stavros Dimitrakoudis, Angelos Lazoudis, Nestor Lazoudis, Stefanos Ligoudistianos, Angelika Mara, Konstantinos Nousis, Giorgos Pantolmos, Nikitas-Georgios Solaris, Kostas Soutos, Sofoklis Sotiriou, Andreas Tziolas, Konstantinos Tziolas, Tryfon Farmakakis.

The event would not have been possible without the voluntary support of the following students, who contributed to every single task: Nikolaos Andrikos, Marina Arvaniti, Iliana Chasiali, Nikolaos Diamantopoulos, Despina Karavola, Georgios Konstantis, Theodora Manoudea, Eirini Nakopoulou, Maria Panagiotopoulou, Maria-Savvina Papadopoulou, Alexandros Petrou, Konstantina Thanasoula, Ioannis Virvidakis, Markella Zannou.

The overwhelming public response and enthusiasm of the participants highlighted the importance of disseminating scientific knowledge and fostering the spirit of space exploration among the younger generation.

The success of the event serves as an inspiration to continue and further develop this initiative in the coming years, with even more innovative activities and the goal of attracting an even larger audience.

The following photos capture some memorable moments from the event.