Imperative Space Launches

NEWS RELEASE

Imperative Space set to provide creative communications services for the new space economy

Team helps shape YouTube’s Space Lab

11 October 2011

A new venture, Imperative Space, has been launched to provide creative communications services to private and public organisations working in the rapidly growing, multi-billion-dollar space sector.

Imperative Space ( www.imperativespace.com ), a spin-out from GovEd Communications to develop its extensive portfolio of space projects, aims to widen access to the benefits of space exploration and research through innovative projects and services, creative communications and educational outreach.

Bringing together space scientists, engineers, communicators and educators with inspiring track records, the Imperative Space team combines creativity and achievement with a clear understanding of the emerging new space economy and the changing technology and financial landscape in the sector.

Amongst its most high profile projects, the team behind Imperative Space helped YouTube to design and ensure the educational strengths of its global space education competition Space Lab, which launched yesterday (www.youtube/spacelab).

Dr Becky Parker, Director of the Langton Star Centre, BBC Horizon presenter, and YouTube Space Lab judge, said, “It was a thrill to work with the Imperative Space team on the development of YouTube's Space Lab competition. The mix of energy, creativity and space expertise they provide is both educationally valuable and inspiring for the wider public.”

Imperative Space’s extensive portfolio of projects includes:

• Footagevault.com, the world’s largest and most easily-searchable archive of space video, developed by Imperative Space team member, Dr Chris Riley
• Space Signpost, an interactive educational tool that points in real time to any selected object in the solar system
• Our Space – an educational space video ‘mash-up’ resource for schools
• First Orbit – a feature-length 50th anniversary celebration film showing what Yuri Gagarin would have seen on the first manned venture into space – a multi-organisation project in which Imperative Space team members were instrumental in bringing the film to huge audiences around the world.

Gavin Starks, former astronomer, founder of innovative web firm AMEE and adviser to Imperative Space, said, "Imperative Space offers a unique blend of world-class creative services, education expertise and innovation to a sector going through rapid changes and growth. It has all the hallmarks of the kind of innovation and adaptability that will be needed as new markets emerge in the space arena."

Other members of the Imperative Space team include Dr Chris Riley, internationally-renowned space film-maker, broadcaster, writer and historian, and Dr Chris Welch, Chair of the Space Education Trust and Resident Faculty member at the International Space University. For further information about the Imperative Space team see www.imperativespace.com.

Imperative Space has emerged from GovEd Communications, a science and technology communications specialist, which has a client list that includes the European Space Agency, the UK Space Agency, Space Adventures, the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO) and the Kopernik Science Centre, as well as many SMEs, universities, schools and educational charities.

Ravi Kapur, managing director of Imperative Space, will speak today (11 October) on entrepreneurship in the space sector at Innovate 11 at the Business Design Centre, London.

For more details on Imperative Space, see www.imperativespace.com
For information on GovEd Communications, see www.goved.co.uk

Media Enquiries
Stephen Fleming at Palam Communications
t 01635 299116
e sfleming@palam.co.uk

Imperative Space