Artemis II and Beyond

Thursday 2 April 2026 at 8pm (Doors open 7.30pm)

Egerton Park Indoor Bowls Club

David will be giving us the latest on the Artemis II here is his summary of his talk:

The Saturn V was the only rocket with the necessary power to take the Apollo module and the lander to the Moon and back. To return to the Moon and to then go beyond, a much more sophisticated approach will have to be used.

The Artemis Programme: There have been a number of key successes, but also some critical failures, in NASA’s approach to returning to the Moon. The presentation will start with some of the key lessons learned from the 1960’s/1970’s in the Apollo Programme! Following critical mis-steps with the original plan for Artimis II and beyond, NASA has now reverted to the “small steps” approach used with the original Apollo Programme. The rockets to be used in the “return to the Moon” are significantly larger/more powerful than the Saturn V. The “Lunar Gateway” is an important ESA/NASA collaboration, aimed at facilitating Lunar Landings and also future Missions to Mars.

The updates on the future Artemis Missions appear to be evolving by the week. However, the critical stages that must be accomplished as stepping stones are becoming clear. When will man/woman actually next step foot on the Moon? That is a good question. However, with the Chinese plans becoming clearer, thus the competitive aspects of the successful drive of the Apollo Programme are now in place. The current “best knowledge” of plans for Artemis, and NASA/ESA and Chinese concepts for permanently-peopled Lunar and Mars Stations will be described in some detail.

Tour of the Universe

Thursday 7 May 2026 at 8pm (Doors open at 7:30pm)

Sidley Working Mens Club, 34a Holliers Hill, Bexhill on Sea, TN40 2DD

Join ESAS and @neilphillipson for a one-hour version of Neil's spectacular Tour of the Universe show that toured large venues around the UK . Join space scientist and astronomy entrepreneur Neil Phillipson for a mind-blowing big-screen presentation.

Neil will take guests on a mesmerising Tour of the Universe, from our nearest neighbour planets, out to the stars and beyond. He'll guide us through the vast majesty of our own galaxy before zooming out once more to reveal the astonishing beauty of Laniakea, home of the Milky Way and 100,000 of our galactic neighbours, revealing the immensity of the Universe at its grandest scale.

For this presentation, Neil is available to travel with a very big screen (5 metres), laser projector and sound system that gives real impact to the stunning graphics. Aimed at general audiences of all ages - no prior knowledge assumed.

If you come to our meetings this is one not to be missed!