Space Week 2025 Comes to Limerick as MIC Hosts Dan Tani
Mary Immaculate College (MIC) welcomed former NASA astronaut Dan Tani to its Limerick campus on Tuesday, October 7, as part of Space Week 2025, the national celebration of space, science, and innovation. The visit featured an engaging morning session with local primary school children, followed by a public talk in the afternoon on the theme “Living in Space.”
Tani, who logged more than 130 days in space across two NASA missions and spent four months aboard the International Space Station, shared his experiences of life beyond Earth and the realities of living in microgravity. His presence at MIC highlighted the college’s commitment to STEM outreach and demonstrated how space exploration can inspire learners of all ages.
The event was part of a broader Space Week Ireland road show coordinated by Munster Technological University’s (MTU) Blackrock Castle Observatory (BCO). Dr Niall Smith, BCO founder and MTU Head of Research, has led this year’s schedule of hundreds of events nationwide, emphasizing the theme of exploring what it means to live and work in space.
Tani’s Message: Space Is for Everyone
Delivering his public talk to a general audience, Dan Tani emphasized accessibility and opportunity. He told attendees that Ireland’s growing enthusiasm for space is matched by a diverse pool of talent across engineering, law, business, food science, and even fashion design. “Ireland is huge in Space Week,” he noted. “My goal is to ensure people here know they can be involved in space. We’re going back to the Moon and on to Mars, and we’ll need experts in every field.”
Reflecting on the perspective gained during his orbital mission, Tani spoke about the planet’s beauty and fragility. “When you look down from the space station, you see this beautiful planet rolling beneath you, and you realize how connected we all are. I felt such pride and kinship with everything on that planet,” he said. His message resonated with students and adults alike, underscoring the universal nature of space exploration and shared responsibility for Earth.
<h2 MIC’s Role in Inspiring the Next Generation
Dr Eleanor Walsh, STEM Outreach Project Officer at MIC, described the visit as an extraordinary opportunity for the community to engage with real-world science. “We were thrilled to host former astronaut Dan Tani as part of Space Week. His passion and humility resonated with both young learners and adults,” she said. The event illustrated how science events can spark curiosity, creativity, and a sense of global connection in a country committed to science education.
During the morning session, local primary school students, including siblings Theo and Hugh Egan from Killinure National School, Boher, Co. Limerick, had the chance to explore space-themed activities and ask questions about spaceflight, engineering challenges, and life aboard the ISS. The visit also highlighted Ireland’s active involvement in space-related research and outreach, reinforcing MIC’s mission to foster scientific literacy across communities.
<h2 A National Celebration of Space
Space Week in Ireland runs from October 4–10 and features events across the country. This year’s theme—exploring what it means to live and work in space—drew participants from schools, universities, science centers, and community groups. The national program is delivered in partnership with MTU, Research Ireland, and the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO) Ireland, demonstrating a collaborative approach to STEM education and outreach.
As Tani’s visit concluded MIC’s involvement in Space Week 2025, the campus reflected on the broader goals of space exploration: to expand knowledge, inspire innovation, and encourage a new generation of scientists, engineers, and thinkers who will shape the future of Ireland’s presence in space, from lunar missions to Martian ambitions.
Space Week 2025 at MIC epitomized a simple idea with far-reaching implications: when leading science figures share their experiences and passion, curiosity takes root, and a country’s talent pool grows stronger, ready to contribute to humanity’s next great leap beyond Earth.
