Planet Earth has been Humanity’s home for as long as we can remember, but like all children, we seem to have been eager to leave home. The boarders of human life are expanding into space. With advancements in technology and other global developments, human presence in space is expected to rise significantly in the coming decades.
Preparing for this rise in human spaceflight, the VSV symposium will take a look at what it takes to keep humans alive outside the atmosphere of the earth. Exploring the biological, psychological, and technological challenges of sustaining human life in the dark, speakers from the field will share their insights with us and discuss the upcoming technologies that we expect to see.
Besides the question of “how?”, we want to explore the question of “why?”. What is it that pulls us outside of Earth’s embrace? Why do we wish to go to the cold and unwelcome vacuum of space? What do we hope to conquer in the vast nothingness outside of our atmosphere? What is it that drives us to defy the dark?

The VSV Symposium is an annual event organised by the VSV ‘Leonardo da Vinci’, the society of Aerospace Engineering students at the Delft University of Technology. Organised by students for students, the Symposium aims to inspire a new generation of engineers by inviting a number of professionals in the field of aerospace engineering, as well as related fields, to shed light on a currently relevant theme. This year’s Symposium is organised by the 38th Space Department of the VSV, and will feature several presentations, two panel discussions, and a number of workshops and other networking opportunities for students interested in the space industry.

TU Delft Aula

Kluyverweg 1, 2629 HS Delft

Check out the program for the day

Meet the 38th Space Department

Read more about the Symposium’s vision