Venue

Magali Vassiere Conference Centre

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The event will take place at the Harwell campus, at the ESA's Magali Vaissiere Conference Centre.

The Magali Vassiere Conference Centre, a new facility supporting the UK space industry, has opened at Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire. Situated adjacent to ESA's European satellite and space telecommunications centre, the centre offers adaptable meeting facilities, a conference hall for 300 people, meeting rooms, breakout areas, exhibition space, and rooms for interpreters. Named after Magali Vaissiere, former director of telecommunications activities and head of ECSAT at ESA, the centre promotes collaboration between the campus' life sciences, quantum, energy, and space clusters.



Address
Campus, Rutherford Avenue, Harwell, Didcot
OX11 0GD, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 1235 250091
More information

Directions and a map can be found at
Harwell Campus contact

Gala Dinner and Social Event

The DFTS 2024 Gala Dinner will be held at St Cross College, Oxford. St Cross College is a graduate college of the University of Oxford, founded in 1965, which occupies attractive buildings on a central site in St Giles, five minutes' walk from the major university laboratories, libraries, institutions and parks. Address: Cross College Oxford, 61 St Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LZ, United Kingdom

St Cross College

The Social Event will feature an exclusive tour of the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source facilities, offering participants a unique opportunity to explore one of the world's leading research centers. ISIS Neutron and Muon Source is based at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire and is a world-leading centre for research in the physical and life sciences. It is owned and operated by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, one of the councils that forms UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).


Visa Information

DFTS can help authors and attendees acquire a Visa to the UK. Such requests should be sent to ecsat.mvcc.ecb@esa.int, with a copy to filomena.decuzzi@esa.int.

Transportation Options

General information about travelling to RAL: Please have a look at this link for detailed directions.

Travel to RAL from Heathrow Airport

Travel to RAL from Heathrow can be either using the RailAir and train to Didcot Parkway rail station and then either bus or taxi to RAL (recommended at weekends), or via Oxford (using bus connections).

  • RailAir - Connection between Heathrow and Reading Station (with trains to Didcot Parkway and Oxford).
  • OxfordBus - Buses to and from Oxford to Airports.
  • GWR - Trains from London Paddington to Didcot.

Local Bus Information

Bus stops and routes on campus can be found on the Harwell Campus travel map.

Details of all bus services serving Harwell can be found on the Oxford Bus Company website, including:

  • ST1: Oxford, Broad Street direct via A34 to Harwell Campus.
  • X34 and X35: Didcot, Great Western Park, Harwell Campus then Wantage and Faringdon (X35) or Chilton and Newbury (X34).
  • 43: Oxford City Centre, Abingdon, Drayton, Steventon, Harwell Campus.
  • 94: Didcot, East Hagbourne, Blewbury, West Hagbourne, Chilton, Harwell Campus.

Note: Timetables and bus routes can be very limited at the weekend (particularly from Oxford/Didcot to RAL).

Accommodation

While the event doesn't have an official hotel, we have secured special rates at Ridgeway House, located next to the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) on the Harwell Campus. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Alternatively, there are several hotels near RAL, including in the local towns of Abingdon, Wantage, Didcot, and Oxford.

Location Hotel Name Extra information Distance to ECSAT - MVCC
Milton Courtyard by Marriot Oxford South
Discounted Rate: £139		 4 miles
10 minutes by car
Abingdon Hilton Garden Inn
Corporate Account: N2786311		 8 miles
12 minutes by car
Milton Hill Milton Hill House
Discounted Rate: £110
Promotion code: MILESABB		 3 miles
7 minutes by car
Harwell Campus Ridgeway House Single Occupancy: £85 0.5 miles
10 minutes walk
Abingdon Premier Inn 8 miles
12 minutes by car
Abingdon The Cosener's House 8 miles
20 minutes by car
Oxford voco Oxford Spires 15 miles
25 minutes by car
Oxford Voco Oxford Thames 16 miles
26 minutes by car