World Space Week 2026: Celebrating Guildford’s role in the UK’s space industry

Surrey Research Park will join teams from the University of Surrey and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) at Saturday’s annual town centre takeover for World Space Week 2026.

Visitors will be able to discover how the Park has helped support businesses, talent and innovation behind Guildford’s emergence as one of the UK’s leading centres for space companies.

On Saturday (10/10/26), Guildford’s high street will once again transform into a space showcase, when the University of Surrey and the Institute of Physics bring World Space Week to Tunsgate Quarter Shopping Centre.

The annual event runs from 10am to 4pm and is free to attend. 

Guildford’s space industry will be represented at the takeover, with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd bringing models, propulsion tanks, circuit boards and satellite panels for people to experience and enjoy.  

Nearby, visitors to Surrey Research Park’s stand will have a chance to discover more about the growing breadth of Guildford’s space business community and the diversity of work that takes place at the Park.

Today, more than a dozen companies make up the Park’s growing Space Enterprise Quarter community. There will also be a range of games and space goodies up for grabs at the stand.

Elsewhere in the town, the day will include opportunities for young people to don a space suit, telescopes to look through, and demonstrations from the world-renowned Surrey Space Centre. 

Astrophysicists from the University’s School of Mathematics and Physics will invite visitors to explore the night sky through constellation activities, put their questions to astronomers, and tackle an escape-room-style astronomy challenge. 

Dr Noelia Noel from the University of Surrey said: 

“For me, events like World Space Week are about opening doors – giving people of all ages and backgrounds the chance to experience astronomy and STEM in a way that feels exciting, welcoming and relevant to them. Sometimes all it takes is one moment of curiosity, looking through a telescope, asking a question, trying something new, to spark an interest that stays with you. And in a place like Guildford, with such a strong science and space community, it is wonderful to be able to share that excitement with the people around us.”