European Researchers’ Night 2026

The programme

Friday 25 September at 5.00 pm and 7.00 pm, with a tour lasting 1 hour and 45 minutes.

In the green area

3,2,1 Welcoming the public
Introduction to the NEDR evening with Explora entertainers, who welcome the public by describing the activities organised in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency.
At 4.55 pm and 6.55 pm.

In the pavilion

At 5.00 pm and 7.00 pm, continuous activities

Space-Time
Hands-on activity dedicated to discovering the phenomena that govern the Solar System, exploring forces and gravity through models and instruments.
Continuous activity organised by ASI and staff from Space 42 – for ages 5 and over

Build your own satellite
A creative activity focused on building satellite models to explore their functions, technologies and applications.
Running continuously, organised by ASI and staff from Space 42 – ages 5 and up

Growing plants in space
An activity to discover how plants are grown in soilless systems
Running continuously, organised by ASI – ages 5 and up

Adventure on the Moon!
From the new moon to the full moon: let’s explore its phases and build a game to make it appear and disappear in the sky.
Ran on a continuous basis, organised by Explora – for children aged 3 to 5

Agenzia Spaziale Italiana

The Italian Space Agency (ASI) was established in 1988 with the task of promoting, developing and disseminating scientific and technological research applied to the space and aerospace sectors, and of implementing Italian space policy in accordance with the strategic guidelines defined by the Italian Government and approved by the Interministerial Committee for Space and Aerospace Research Policy (COMINT), chaired by the Prime Minister or a delegated authority. COMINT sets out the general guidelines for national space policy, which ASI implements through the planning and execution of its institutional activities, whilst ensuring the coordination of Italy’s participation in European and international programmes. ASI is now among the top six space agencies in the world, a distinction that reflects the prestigious role Italy plays in the space sector at European and global level. Thanks to the San Marco satellites, Italy was among the pioneers of the space age and is now the third-largest contributor to the European Space Agency (ESA), after France and Germany. Our country is one of the first signatories to the Artemis Accords for NASA’s new lunar programme and is also one of the few countries in the world which, through its own agency, operates across all areas of space application. Visit the Italian Space Agency’s website…

Space42 Europe 
A science communication agency founded in 2019 by a network of professional science communicators with experience in the space sector and STEM disciplines. The team brings together over 20 professionals with diverse scientific backgrounds — astrophysicists, biologists, geologists and physicists — who work alongside developers, designers, videographers and 3D artists.

Notte Europea dei Ricercatori e delle Ricercatrici

The European Researchers’ Night, scheduled for 25 September, as part of the LEAF – heaL thE plAnet’s Future project, is an initiative by Frascati Scienza, supported by the European Commission and celebrated simultaneously in hundreds of cities across the continent. It offers a unique opportunity to meet those who carry out research every day, gain an insight into their work and discover how science helps tackle the major challenges of our time: from health to sustainability, from technological innovation to protecting the planet. The LEAF project is an event associated with the European Union’s MSCA and Citizens initiative, funded under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (HORIZON-MSCA-2025-CITIZENS-01). Visit the official Frascati Scienza website…