On moonshots and the importance of dreaming big
What seems impossible today may be reality tomorrow. From missions to the moon to radical solutions to climate change: moonshots always start with an idea that goes beyond what is currently possible. Ideas that challenge the status quo. That are uncertain. That may even seem unachievable.
But that is precisely where it happens.
Not because we’re certain it will work, but because it forces us to see things differently, act differently and push boundaries. Moonshots aren’t an end point — they’re a driving force. For imagination. For innovation. For progress.
So. What is your moonshot?
The Night of Space 2026 is free for students of Radboud University and takes place at the Goffert Open-Air Theatre. Doors open: 7.45 pm. Support act starts (live band): 8.00 pm. Programme starts: 8.30 pm. Programme ends: approx. 10.15 pm. Drinks until 11.00 pm.
Speakers: Philippe Schoonejans, Maureen Minnema, Erik Jansen, Jan Rotmans and Heleen de Coninck. With music by Ayralynn.
Why do we actually want to return to the moon — and perhaps even go to Mars afterwards?
NASA’s Artemis projects are also known as The Lunar Gateway projects. What are these projects, which span decades and push the boundaries of international cooperation? Philippe Schoonejans worked on these missions and takes you behind the scenes of recent global news. How do you build something that transcends a single country, a single generation, a single reality? And more importantly: what can we learn from this, for the challenges here on Earth?
Why do we actually dream — and what if you could control your own dreams?
In your sleep, anything seems possible. But what really happens there? At the Sleep & Memory Lab, Maureen Minnema investigates how dreams work — from the science behind sleep to inducing lucid dreams and new technologies. Don’t expect a woolly story, but a glimpse into one of the most mysterious and, at the same time, promising fields of research today.
What if the biggest change doesn’t lie in the future, but in how we live today?
We talk a lot about transitions, but how do you actually make them happen? Erik Jansen is a lecturer at HAN University of Applied Sciences and researches how sustainability and justice work in everyday life. In a personal and experience-based talk, he shows why dreaming big starts with listening, slowing down and reconnecting with the world around us.
Should we save the world with even more technology — or change ourselves instead?
From massive CO₂ vacuum cleaners to dimming the sun: the solutions to climate change seem to be getting ever more extreme. But are they the right ones? Heleen de Coninck co-authored the IPCC 1.5°C report and poses the uncomfortable question that lies beneath it. Perhaps the real moonshot isn’t a technological one, but a societal one.
A story about responsibility, and the relationship between people, technology and our planet Earth.
Can you, as an individual, really make a difference in a world that seems to be on the brink of collapse?
According to Captain of Transition Jan Rotmans, the answer is yes. As an authority on sustainability, he interprets the chaos of our times — and shows where the opportunities lie. Don’t expect doom and gloom, but rather an energetic story about what is possible. Not just with your head, but with your heart.
Partners
The Night of Space is an initiative of the INNOVATE innovation platform in collaboration with Quest, HAN University of Applied Sciences and Radboud University / Radboud RadioLab.
INNOVATE is made possible in part by the City of Nijmegen, the City of Arnhem, NXP, Rabobank and many others.
