
Spring Space Social
Saturday 7th March 2026
Mitchell Hall, Cranfield
Bedfordshire, UK


Meet SpaceX Inspiration4 Astronaut Chris Sembroski appearing live at our Spring Space Social 2026!
SpaceX Inspiration4 was the first orbital spaceflight with only private citizens aboard and was part of a charitable effort that raised awareness for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the USA.
The four crew members represented the mission pillars; Leadership, Hope Generosity and Prosperity. The seat for Generosity was assigned to Chris Sembroski, a data engineer and Air Force veteran.
FIRST TIME IN THE UK EVENT!
Chris Sembroski is coming to the UK on Saturday 7th March 2026 to meet with our members and share the story of his journey to space as a crew member on this historic first all-civilian spaceflight.
We have different ticket options to chose from depending on the level of interaction and event features you wish to experience.





The future of civilian orbital spaceflight started here with the Inspiration4 mission. Chris will guide you through his experiences from training through to launch, orbital spaceflight, re-entry and splashdown. Come and meet the future of spaceflight.
Includes access to the event, 12pm-4pm, with trade stands, exhibits, canteen and amenities.
12:00pm
1:00pm
4:00pm
Early Bird Price: £40.00 each
Suitable for all ages.
All guests will require a ticket.
Includes access to the event, 12pm-10pm, with trade stands, exhibits, canteen and amenities.
12:00pm
1:00pm
4:00pm
6:00pm
10:00pm
Early Bird Price: £119.00 each
VIP Tickets are limited to 50 people to preserve the intimate atmosphere of the VIP experience.
Includes access to the event, 12pm-10pm, with trade stands, exhibits, canteen and amenities.
Early Bird Price: £189.00 each
SOLD OUT
Only 5 Premium VIP Tickets are available!






Are you part of a space group, organisation, club, society or other group and interested in group rates?
Are you a school teacher looking to share this opportunity with your students?
Please contact us for group rates and packages.
By attending this event, you will be the first to know the special guest speaker for our next event and receive priority booking with an exclusive early bird discount.
SUMMER SPACE SOCIAL
Saturday 11th July 2026

Veteran VIP Award
Your VIP Award pin will be presented to you by our Astronaut guest in recognition of your continued support and dedication to our mission.
Not for sale. Invitation only. One per person. Terms & conditions apply.
Additional VIP tenure awards and rewards will be announced in the future.
Each year, we give over 50 primary school children from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to experience space. Through fully funded trips to the National Space Centre, we cover all costs, from coach travel to entry fees, so every child can experience the wonder of discovery. Alongside them, we deliver engaging talks that ignite their imagination, make space feel relatable, and show them that a future in the UK space industry is not just a dream, but an achievable ambition.
In 2026 we will also be sponsoring a teenage student to attend ISSET Mission Discovery in London where they will work alongside a NASA Astronaut, and other space professionals, in the hope of getting their experiment launched to the International Space Station!
Our Spring Space Social will raise vital funds to ensure we can continue making space accessible for everyone, inspiring young minds, and launching the next generation of British space pioneers.
Mitchell Hall,
Cranfield University,
College Road, Cranfield, Bedford,
MK43 0AL.
Mitchell Hall, Wharley End, Bedford, UK
Please Contact Us if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Our events are fully inclusive and accessible for all. Both the event and the venue are accessible.
If you would like further information, or require any special assistance on the day, please contact us providing details of your requirements and we will be happy to review and respond.
To keep prices low and reduce wastage, we no-longer send tickets.
You will receive an email confirmation of your ticket purchase immediately after payment.
Please bring this with you to the event.
We will keep you updated via email with event information.
On arrival at the event, report to registration where you will be issued with a souvenir ticket to access the lecture and claim your autograph.
Our events are suitable for all ages and we encourage all children to dress as Astronauts!
All guests of all ages will need a valid ticket.
The General Admission ticket will entitle you to one autograph.
Our Astronaut guest will sign after the lecture, strictly one autograph per ticket.
No personalisation or inscriptions.
You can bring your own photo to get signed or purchase from a selection of 8x10" photos available at the event.
The VIP Package ticket will entitle you to two additional autographs.
Our Astronaut guest will sign after the dinner, strictly two autographs per ticket.
Personalisation/inscriptions are not guaranteed but can be requested within reason.
You can bring your own photo to get signed or purchase from a selection of 8x10" photos available at the event.
Premium VIP Package ticket holders will get an additional, custom inscribed signed photo (pre-signed).
If you participate in the optional meet & greet photo with our professional photographer (£30 payable to the photographer on the day), your mounted photo will be ready for collection at the end of the lecture. This photo will also be signed for you, if you want, in-person by Chris.
Our Astronaut guest reserves the right to refuse signing some items at their discretion.
Tickets and vouchers are not refundable.
The Armchair Astronaut will only guarantee a refund if the event is cancelled by us. Our liability in this case will be limited to the face value of your tickets and autograph/book vouchers.
If you purchase tickets but are later unable to attend the event, please let us know by email as soon as possible. We will honour the autograph and send you a signed 8x10" after the event at no additional charge, along with your souvenir ticket stub which remained uncollected at the registration desk, and any other branded merchandise included in your ticket price.
This is your opportunity to meet and greet with our Astronaut guest, one-to-one. A professional photographer will be there to capture the moment, using green-screen technology to preserve the memory.
In order to keep ticket prices low, this is an optional extra and chargeable on the day at £30 per photo. The fee is per photo, NOT per person, so your whole party can be in one photo. Pay the photographer directly on the day.
Your photo will be printed and mounted ready for collection as you leave the lecture hall. A digital download will be available shortly afterwards.
Your meet & greet photo will also be signed for you, if you want, in-person by Chris after the lecture.
Some other events charge a premium price, often in excess of £50 extra per person, for tickets with meet and greet access, and then have a chaperone take the picture on your phone. We have a professional photographer, green-screen technology, mounted photo ready for same-day collection with digital download, all for just £30 per photo, preserving low ticket prices for all!
Due to the limited capacity of this event we can not guarantee entrance to anyone who has not pre-booked their ticket online.
We understand that some guests may not be available the entire day and while our VIP Dinner is technically restricted to the entire day VIP Package, please contact us and we will review availability.
This will be a set menu which will be confirmed about one month before the event date.
We will email you to collect the names of everyone in your booking and dietary requirements.
Dinner does NOT include drinks but is followed by Tea/Coffee.
Private bar will open from about 5pm.
General Admission (12:00-4:00pm)
There is no dress code and we welcome guests to wear their spacesuit costumes or space clothes as they want. Actually, we encourage all children to dress as Astronauts!
VIP Package Dinner (6:00-10:00pm)
Due to the same-day schedule of the dinner we understand guests will be with us all day and therefore not all will be able to change into formal dinner wear. The choice is yours. Some guests will change to formal dinner wear where some will remain as they were for the Lecture event. There is an onsite hotel if you're staying overnight and restrooms for changing if you require but it is not expected on this occasion.
Unfortunately no as our VIP Package is strictly limited to 50 tickets to protect the intimate atmosphere of the VIP experience and we will need to confirm final numbers for dinner several weeks before the event at which point VIP Package ticket sales will end.
Have you been a VIP ticket holder at any TWO of our previous public events listed below?
Once you attend your 3rd event with us as a VIP ticket holder we have a very special, unique, not for sale anywhere, award for you as a thank you for your dedication and support.
Additional VIP awards and rewards for subsequent VIP events will be announced in the future.
Yes! You can book a single or double occupancy room with or without breakfast at the event venue if required. Details on how to book will be emailed to you when we confirm your tickets. Overnight accommodation is an optional extra and not included.
You will need to contact us and propose what you have in mind. We are always open to press/media access but this will need to be agreed by our Astronaut guest.
We welcome private and corporate sponsorship deals.
We welcome people who may have exhibits they wish to display at the event.
Please contact us with details and we will be happy to review.
Commercial Attendance / Trade Stands
We welcome people and companies from the space sector that wish to have a commercial presence at our events. Commercial availability is extremely limited.
There is no trade stand charge but we do we require all people in your team to hold a valid entrance ticket; either Lecture Ticket to trade 12pm-4pm and/or VIP Dinner Ticket to trade 6pm-10pm. There may be a "table charge"; a minimal fee imposed by the venue, to be confirmed, but otherwise no fee from us. All we ask is that you (i) promote the event with a link via your website and regularly across your social media in the months prior to the event, and (ii) make a donation of minimum 2 items from your trade stand to our charity raffle and future fundraising.

Milton Keynes, UK June 2017
Milton Keynes, UK September 2017
Click here to read some of the reviews and feedback received from guests at this event.
Cranfield, UK May 2025
Click here to read some of the reviews and feedback received from guests at this event.
All Astronaut portrait images are credited to NASA and/or ESA.
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