Introducing the OU Space Science Club
Hi everyone, David, secretary of the OU Space Science club here, I’d just like to introduce you to the club. Don’t be but off by the name, everyone is welcome and if you are interested enough in space to read this article you qualify for membership! Join the OU Space Science Club here to be kept up to date on all we are doing.
The OU Space Science Club is one of the newest of the OU Students Association clubs for all OU students, staff and alumni. It owes its existence to a bunch of Open University under and post-graduate student meeting informally at the UK Students Space Science Conference, run by UKSEDS, in March 2020 (just before lockdown) at Birmingham University. Over the course of the day it transpired our interests spanned the whole of the space sector not just science and engineering but policy, human factors, space medicine, space law, space art and everything else space and wouldn’t it be good if we had a club? So after a lockdown summer of planning, we launched in the midst of the pandemic in October 2020.
Events and activities.
Much as we would have loved to launch the club with a big face to face meetup Covid-19 had other ideas so instead we started with free talk during Freshers Week, Tim Gregory talking about meteorites which was followed up with Nicholas Booth on the search for life on mars, you can watch these again on our Youtube channel – OU Space Science Club YouTube Channel We will deliver monthly online talks until we can start meeting up again, upcoming ones will cover humans in space, the work of the UK Space Agency and Dallas Campbell’s guide to leaving the planet. Details will appear on our social media and be emailed to members.
Social Media Links
Given we can’t meet social media is our best way of connecting, we’ve created a range of new social media channels so our members can meet at least virtually and all the links are below. Please feel free to join us on any that you use and share across your platforms and module forum if you think people will be interested.
Forum – OU Space Science Club Forum
Email – OUStudents-SpaceScience-Club@hotmail.com
Twitter – @space_ou
Instagram – OU Space Science Club Instagram Page
Facebook – OU Space Science Club Facebook Group
Discord Server – OU Space Science Club Discord Invite
A Club For Our Members.
Although we are a new club we’ve already got almost 200 members – but that doesn’t change the fact that the club is set up for our members, to meet their interests, no matter their education, knowledge or background. We would welcome any ideas or proposals that you think would be good for the club and members and please do not hesitate to come forward either club forum other media channels, the committee does not have a monopoly on great ideas!
Well we haven’t managed to fit a talk into December but to make that up to you all we are doing 2 in January and 2 in February.
1. Thomas Cheney – Space Law. First two weeks in Jan.
2. Dr Whitehouse – Space 2069, Second two weeks in Jan.
3. Dallas Campbell – A Guide to Leaving the Planet. Freshers Fortnight Space Science Club Talk, 7pm 5 Feb.
4. Dr Bleddyn Bowen – War in Space, Late Feb.
Once we have confirmed the dates tickets (free!) will be available through our social media channels, I hope to see lots of you there!