On Friday 13 December, The Open University\u2019s Milton Keynes campus hosted a celebration of lunar science and exploration, offering opportunities for learning and discovery to visitors of all ages.<\/p>\n
More than 210 people visited the Walton Hall campus to take part in the two interactive events this year. A creative school competition focused on designing lunar habitats using Lego\u00a9 bricks during the day, and then the annual Moon Night event brought together members of the public, families, and supporters for an evening of activities and expert talks.<\/p>\n
The day began with the \u2018Living on the Moon!\u2019 competition, which welcomed local primary school pupils to the campus. Guided by OU researchers, the students worked in teams to design and build models of sustainable lunar bases. Their challenge was to address the practicalities of supporting human activities on the Moon while considering limited resources and the importance of sustainability.<\/p>\n
As part of the hands-on design competition, the children were given the opportunity to present their Moonbase models to the panel of judges.<\/p>\n
Later in the day, the focus shifted to the engagement with the wider community with the return of the much-loved Moon Night event. Local families, students, and staff were invited to explore a variety of interactive activities showcasing the OU\u2019s cutting-edge research in lunar science and planetary exploration.<\/p>\n
Visitors handled real Moon rocks and meteorite samples, participated in a virtual reality simulation of exploring the Moon\u2019s surface, and learned about 3D printing technologies that could one day help to build habitats on the Moon. Guided tours of the University\u2019s space research labs offered a rare opportunity to see behind the scenes of this world-leading work.<\/p>\n
There were also talks from expert speakers, covering topics from lunar meteorites to the Moon\u2019s connection to festive traditions.<\/p>\n