Bouncy castles were among the attractions for kids at the Sunday 5 October ESTEC Open Day.

Credit: ESA – S. Ferreté Aymerich

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Cooking a comet core demonstration at the Sunday 5 October ESTEC Open Day, mixing together dirt, dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide), water, and chocolate sauce to represent the organic chemistry of comets.

Credit: ESA – S. Ferreté Aymerich

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Visitors at the Sunday 5 October 2014 ESTEC Open Day inside the Test Centre at shaker tables used to simulate launch stresses on full-sized satellites.

Credit: ESA – S. Ferreté Aymerich

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A child visitor to the Sunday 5 October ESTEC Open Day examines jets of water vapour emitting from the 4 m-wide model of 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the strangely shaped comet that ESA’s Rosetta probe is currently orbiting and planning to land on.

Credit: ESA – S. Ferreté Aymerich

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ESA astronaut André Kuipers spoke to a large crowd at the end of the Sunday 5 October 2014 ESTEC Open Day, answering questions on life in space from children. In return they sang to him – he was celebrating his birthday that same day.

ESA – S. Ferreté Aymerich

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