A good question can start in a lecture theatre, around a table, or on a road trip. KiwiSpace helped make room for those conversations.
SpaceUp brought the space unconference to AUT University in Auckland.
An unconference is shaped by the people in the room. Participants propose topics, offer short talks and start discussions; the schedule develops around the interests and ideas they bring. A conversation in the hallway can become a session of its own.
The format made room for students, space enthusiasts, educators and professionals to exchange ideas. You did not have to arrive as an expert: curiosity and a willingness to join in were enough.
KiwiSpace’s programme connected those local conversations with international space education, including the relationship with JAXA and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide.
Ahead of SpaceUp, SpaceEd gave teachers two days to explore space education with the JAXA Space Education Center team.
The workshop brought international expertise into a New Zealand teaching setting, connecting the excitement of space with practical classroom learning. It was aimed at intermediate and secondary teachers, while welcoming others with an interest in space education.
Informal Auckland gatherings, with time for questions, shared interests and conversations beyond the presentation.
A New Zealander working with International Space Station payloads, Bernie Kerr brought a first-hand view of the work that makes research in orbit possible. His talk connected an international laboratory with a familiar Kiwi voice, with time for the audience to ask questions.
Download Bernie’s presentation slides
A road-trip gathering connected the meetup community with Spaceward Bound. The surviving group photograph captures a shared outing beyond the usual presentation room. It was another way for people interested in space, science and exploration to meet and exchange ideas.
Rocket Lab’s lead vehicle designer joined the Auckland group for an in-person conversation about the company’s work. The evening gave enthusiasts a chance to meet an engineer involved in New Zealand’s emerging launch industry and ask their own questions. The session was not recorded.
AUT University’s Professor Sergei Gulyaev joined the first Auckland meetup recorded in the collection. The presentation and audience discussion are preserved below, bringing a university research perspective into an informal gathering of space enthusiasts.
Looking towards
the Moon.
In January 2025, KiwiSpace shared an invitation to a talk by Dr Hunter Singh on NASA’s Artemis programme and the return to the Moon.
The announcement was for a 5 January gathering at Woodhouse Lodge in Warkworth, with a talk followed by a fireside conversation for overnight guests. It continued a familiar thread: bringing people together around the possibilities of space.
The original announcement on Twitter ↗