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��ɫ��Ƶ welcomed former NASA astronaut Daniel Tani this week as the keynote speaker at the EirSEDS Space Week Conference, an event designed to spark student interest in space exploration and engineering. The conference was organised by EirSEDS—the Irish chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS)—with support from UL’s School of Engineering.

SEDS is a global non-profit student organisation dedicated to advancing space advocacy through educational initiatives and engineering projects. EirSEDS, founded earlier this year, aims to unify Ireland’s student-led physics, astronomy, and rocketry societies under one banner to strengthen collaboration and promote space education nationwide.

“We launched EirSEDS to give Ireland a voice in the global SEDS community,” said Jay Looney, conference organiser and EirSEDS co-founder. “By bringing together student societies across the country, we can advocate more effectively for resources like launch sites, which currently don’t exist here. It’s also about building stronger industry connections and expanding space-related education across third-level institutions.”

Daniel Tani’s talk, titled Living in Space, offered a personal glimpse into his journey from childhood to life aboard the International Space Station. His presentation was part of a nationwide Space Week roadshow coordinated by Munster Technological University’s Blackrock Castle Observatory.

“Living and working in space is one of the most extraordinary experiences a human being can have,” said Tani. “Seeing Earth from orbit changes your perspective—you realise how fragile and beautiful our planet truly is. I’m grateful to share that view with students here in Ireland, and I hope it inspires them to see themselves as part of humanity’s journey to the stars.”

The evening also featured presentations from Mícheál Foley, Earth Observation Analyst at Mallon Technology, who spoke about using satellite imagery for environmental monitoring. Student-led rocketry teams from UL (ULAS HiPR) and UCC (UCCRSES) showcased their latest projects, highlighting the growing interest in space engineering across Irish universities.