Inaugural Global Space Awards Set for Dec. 5 at London's Natural History Museum
The first Global Space Awards will take place this Friday, Dec. 5, when roughly 340 guests gather for a red-carpet, black-tie ceremony at the Natural History Museum in London. The event celebrates individuals, companies and investors who are shaping the modern space sector and accelerating humanity's presence across the solar system.
Host and Purpose: Renowned physicist and science communicator Brian Greene will host the evening, which aims to provide a "unifying global stage" to recognise achievement across the commercial, scientific and investment communities driving space exploration and innovation.
Nominations and Categories: In its inaugural year the awards attracted more than 500 nominations across eight categories, including Playmaker of the Year (honouring an individual whose work has materially influenced the industry's trajectory), space investment, scientific breakthroughs, sustainability in orbit and more. An international panel of judges from academia, policy, finance and industry will determine the winners.
James Lovell Legacy Award: The ceremony is dedicated to Gemini and Apollo astronaut James Lovell following his death on Aug. 7 earlier this year. Members of Lovell's family will attend to receive the inaugural James Lovell Legacy Award, which organisers say will be presented in future years to individuals who 'honor the spirit' of the late astronaut.
'The Darwinian theory of evolution serves as the foundation for hosting the Global Space Awards at the Natural History Museum, symbolizing humanity's journey toward a civilization that not only adapts but thrives when utilising innovation from space,' said Sanjeev Gordhan, a member of the Global Space Awards steering committee, in an email to Space.com.
Finalists Reveal: The 50 finalists across the eight categories were unveiled on Nov. 6 when their names were broadcast from a screen suspended beneath a high-altitude balloon reportedly floating about 23 kilometers (approximately 75,000 feet) above Earth's surface in the stratosphere. Attendees and the public will learn the winners during the Dec. 5 ceremony.
Follow coverage of the awards to see which people and organisations take home the inaugural prizes and to learn more about the James Lovell Legacy Award recipients in years to come.
