The UCL RPIF is a very active outreach and educational facility, offering a wide range of projects and activities suitable for both the general public and school groups of all ages. These take the form of tours of the Department, organised open days, school talks and visits by members of the group, and information packs and teacher packs on a wide range of planetary topics.

Tours of the Department will be given by members of the research group, all of whom are active researchers in the field of planetary science.

School visits can involve talks and/or activities on almost any planetary science subject, and may in some instances incorporate more general astronomical topics. Talks and activities are suitable for school groups of all ages and abilities, and the exact nature of the visit can be tailored to suit more specific needs.

Visits will be made by volunteers from the Planetary Research Group, all of whom possess a broad knowledge of the planetary and astronomical sciences. Further details of the talks and activities available from each RPIF member can be found on their individual web pages. To organise a visit, please contact the relevant RPIF member directly.

One of our most exciting outreach initiatives is the Mars in the Classroom project, created by Drs Sarah Dunkin, David Heather, Paula Martin and Matt Balme. There are details of the Mars in the Classroom pack and how to order on the Mars in the Classroom website.

A more recent outreach programs is Destination Mars, developed by Drs Dominic Fortes, Louise Bishop and Peter Grindrod. This project is aimed at Key Stage 4 pupils, who participate in their own mission to Mars, from conception and design, through to analysis of scientific data. This program was run by Peter Grindrod for 4 years as a University of London taster course.