This December, the Royal Institution’s Christmas Lectures will take young audiences on a journey from the origins of space and time to the technologies that will shape our future of exploration.
As the title partner, CGI is proud to support this year’s theme, a topic that lies at the heart of both scientific inquiry and societal opportunity.
Dr Jaime Reed, Vice President, Consulting Services, Space Data Platforms & Applications, CGI, reflects on the importance of engaging young people in the science of space and the Universe around us – and how their passion will shape the Earth of tomorrow.
Over to you, Jaime…
Why space science matters for young people
For children, like mine, who are interested in technology, science and the environment, Space offers a unique combination of topics which fire their imaginations and can unlock rewarding careers in the future. By bringing those ideas to young minds, we help to show that curiosity in our universe can lead to helping our planet and its people.
Children who understand the broad sweep of space science and the technologies behind it become better prepared not just for STEM careers but for a world where data, connectivity and systems thinking matter. The impressive tradition of the Christmas Lectures has always sought to make science accessible, to open minds to wonder, and to plant seeds of future possibility. CGI’s support is grounded in conviction that this kind of opportunity is vital: science education is not just about facts, it’s about enabling futures by creating a mindset of innovation. It aligns with our belief that business has a role to play in fostering the next generation of thinkers and doers.
Careers in the IT industry for space: a growing horizon
Many of the young people and indeed adults who watch these lectures may never have thought that “space” and “IT” go hand-in-hand. In fact, the interface of space systems and information technology offers rich career pathways:
- Software engineers designing on-board satellite systems or ground-segment command and control platforms.
- Data scientists developing models to turn huge volumes of satellite-derived data into insights (for example, predictive weather modelling, agricultural monitoring or infrastructure surveillance).
- Systems integration specialists who manage the complex orchestration of hardware, communications, cloud and analytics layers that enable a satellite mission.
- Cyber security professionals safeguarding space assets, networks and the integrity of the data flows that support critical national and commercial infrastructure.
- UX/data-visualisation and cloud engineers building user-facing services that deliver space-derived information to non-expert users from farmers, insurers, emergency-services to urban planners.
What excites me is that anyone excelling in these skills can truly contribute to cutting edge science and technology, as well as collaborate with experts around the world. What’s more, the breadth of the Space industry means that you can apply those skills in so many different areas from the seabed to the stars.
With the Christmas Lectures’ 200th anniversary in 2025 and CGI’s 50th in 2026, it is an especially fitting time to reflect on the scientific missions that have shaped our shared story of exploration. Over the past five decades, CGI has supported a wide range of space and science programmes, from early satellite navigation and communications to today’s sophisticated Earth-observation and climate-monitoring missions. Our technology has helped deliver data for understanding our planet, advancing sustainable development, and supporting understanding of the wider solar system. This legacy of innovation mirrors the Royal Institution’s enduring mission: to ignite curiosity, expand knowledge, and turn scientific discovery into real-world impact.
By supporting the Christmas Lectures, we hope to highlight that whether someone wants to do physics, software development, systems engineering or data analytics, the space industry offers accessible and exciting tracks. And importantly, that a strong STEM education opens doors not only to rocket scientists but to roles in IT, modelling, data and systems that will power space exploration.
The ripple effect of education
When we educate about space, we’re doing much more than teaching about planets or stars. We’re teaching young people to look up and ask: how do we know that? What systems underpin that observation? What data flows from that sensor? How might it be improved? They are the questions that lead to innovation, entrepreneurship and growth.
The challenges in space often mirror the challenges on Earth, managing data at scale, ensuring resilient infrastructure, safeguarding systems from cyber threats, addressing sustainability and climate change. Careers in space technology are therefore intrinsically linked to tackling real-world societal issues.
A closing invitation
As someone who watched the Ri lectures as a boy, and now with my own children, I know the impact they can have to inspire young minds. To the families, teachers and young audience of the Christmas Lectures, I invite you to embrace the theme with curiosity.
Ask what we are exploring in space, how we explore it, why we do so, and who can contribute. If you have ever wondered whether coding, data, analytics or system design might be your route into the space sector, the answer is emphatically yes.
As the lectures unfold, I hope they will inspire not just dreams of distant planets, but concrete ideas of how children can contribute to the future of British space exploration, through IT, space science, engineering or data.
Curiosity meets the cosmos in the 2025 Christmas Lectures, supported by CGI
For the momentous 200th anniversary of the Christmas Lectures, we are taking the series to new heights.
Join renowned space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock on a journey of discovery through our Solar System and beyond, where space becomes interstellar.
Tune in to BBC Four and iPlayer 28, 29 and 30 December at 7:00pm