Beamish Museum and Durham University jointly organized Space Encounters – an Evening with Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki, earlier this year. The event welcomed Naoko, former JAXA astronaut onboard the Space Shuttle Discovery and the International Space Station (ISS), to Beamish’s 1820s Landscape. Naoko shared with us tales from her journey to Space, including captivating stories from her astronaut training and her mission delivering payload to build the ISS.
Naoko presented Beamish Museum with a space patch that she had flown to to Space (Photo credit Joe Turnbull UK)
Those attending the event included the general public from the region, as well as visiting professionals in the fields of Space Innovation, Exploration and Medicine from Europe and the US. Throughout the evening, attendants had the rare opportunity to engage directly with Naoko and dive into the wonders of Space Exploration and life at the frontiers of cutting-edge innovation.
Organized and hosted by Dr Nikita Chiu, Associate Professor in Space Innovation & Technology Governance at Durham University, the event was part of the broader initiative of CN2i – a global collaborative network to advance inclusive innovation for critical operations. Launched by Nikita and Naoko with global partners, CN2i seeks to advance a more sustainable and inclusive space future by enthusing and inspiring the next generation of space innovators. Nikita, convenor of Space Encounters and Trustee of Beamish Museum, said: “Our vision for the future is a collective reflection of the wisdom from our past. The Space Encounters event marks a unique moment when international space exploration is presented against the backdrop of Beamish’s rich history of the region’s heritage with technology and innovation, highlighting how our past continues to inform innovation of the future.”
Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki with event host Dr Nikita Chiu (Photo credit Joe Turnbull)
Naoko said: “I am impressed with the museum’s faithful preservation of technological heritage, particularly the region’s rail infrastructure from the past century. We know that the dimensions of rockets were developed so as to ensure that rockets could be transported through the rail network. In this sense, past technological infrastructure plays an important role in shaping the development of future technologies. It was incredible for me to have the opportunity to visit Beamish.”
At the event, Naoko presented Beamish Museum with a certified space patch that she has brought with her to space onboard the space shuttle Discovery. The patch has been added to the museum’s collections, signifying the importance of Naoko’s visit to Durham and the North East.
Space Encounters was convened in collaboration with Durham University Space Research Centre, Durham University Business School, Durham University Department of Management & Marketing, Durham University Institute for Advanced Study, St Chad’s College, and Beamish Museum.
– Dr Nikita Chiu