Social Programme
We are delighted to offer an attractive social programme as a part of the
joint i-SAIRAS & iSpaRo Conference in 2026. Complementing the scientific sessions, the social programme provides valuable opportunities for exchange between the international leading experts from academia, industry, and space agencies.
The Social Programme of the Joint i-SAIRAS & iSpaRo Conference 2026 at a Glance
| Event | Date | Information - Price |
| Possibility of pre-registration for the conference Opening of the Exhibition |
Mon., 02 November 2026 | |
| Welcome Reception | Tue., 03 November 2026 | included in the registration fee |
| Conference Dinner, Show & Dining in Apollo Varieté in Düsseldorf |
Wed., 04 November 2026 | For all participants extra ticketed event Price 130,00 Euro/ per person |
| Guided City Tours Duesseldorf Guided City Tour Cologne |
Wed., 04 November 2026 Thur., 05 November 2026 |
Optional |
| Guided Culinary City Tour Cologne |
Fri., 06 November 2026 |
Optional |
| Networking Evening at a local brewery in Cologne (Dom im Stapelhaus) |
Thur., 05 November 2026 |
Optional |
| Guided Tours, incl. bus transfer in the DLR premises in Cologne |
Fri., 06 November 2026 |
Optional |
Possibility of Pre-registration & Opening of the Exhibition
Monday, 02 November 2026, approx. 18:00 - 20:00
Location: Confex Conference Centre in Cologne
© Confexx
The pre-registration and opening of the exhibition of the joint i-SAIRAS & iSpaRo Conference in 2026 (with drinks & snacks)
will provide an opportunity to get your name badges and conference materials and avoid queuing on the first day of the conference.
Tuesday, 03 November 2026, approx. 18:30 - 21:30
Location: Confex Conference Centre in Cologne
© Confexx
The Welcome Reception marks the official start of joint i-SAIRAS & iSpaRo Conference and provides an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and establish first contacts within the community.
We look forward to welcoming you to i-SAIRAS & iSpaRo Conference in a welcoming setting for exchange and networking.
It is Included in the conference registration fee.
Show & Dine – Conference Dinner
Wednesday, 04 November 2026, approx. 19:00 - 00:00
Location: Apollo Varieté in Düsseldorf
© Roncalli
© Roncalli
Price: 130,00 €
We are glad to offer an exclusive evening event with a spectacular show and dinner for the participants of the joint i-SAIRAS & iSpaRo Conference in the Apollo Varieté in Düsseldorf.
Show & Dine – exclusive Wintershow with 3-course menu and with all beverages.
Located in the heart of Düsseldorf’s Media Harbour, the Apollo Varieté combines world-class variety entertainment with an elegant event location. The theatre presents spectacular shows featuring international artists, acrobats, comedians, musicians, and performers in a unique and intimate atmosphere.
The Varieté, this is the small, decadent brother of the circus Roncalli.
This is how the founder of Roncalli's Apollo Varieté, Bernhard Paul, once described the essence of his theatre.
Details:
- extra Ticketed event (additional costs)
- Limited capacity places (max. 320 participants) are allocated on a first come, first served basis
- Booking is required during registration process
- What is included:
- Admission to an exclusive show,
- a three-course dinner menu (meat, vegetarian and vegan options are available),
welcome drink, soft drinks, beer, and wine served throughout the evening. - bus transfer
Departure: from the venue Confex in Cologne to Düsseldorf Apollo, with return transfer to Confex in the late evening.
© Roncalli
Information on transfer bus departure and return times, as well as the show programme and the evening schedule, will be available on the website shortly.
Guided City Tours in Cologne or Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf Guided Tour:
Wednesday, 04 November 2026
Time: 16:30 – 18:00 (currently scheduled)
Price: 20,00 Euro per person
Explore Düsseldorf’s beautiful Old Town on a guided walking tour and discover its most famous sights and landmarks!
Please note
- extra Ticketed event (additional costs)
- Limited capacity (max. 20 participants) places are allocated on a first come, first served basis
- Language: English
- Booking is required during registration process
- Meeting point: Tourist Information in the Old Town (Rheinstraße 3)
End point: at evening Location: Apollo Varieté - Duration: 1,5 hours in the afternoon
Cologne Guided Tour
Thursday, 05 November 2026
Walk through the cobblestone alleys of the Altstadt to learn about 2,000 years of man and medieval history.
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (currently scheduled)
Price: 20,00 Euro per person
Discover the most fascinating facets of Cologne’s past and present!
This guided walking tour takes you on a journey through time, offering fascinating insights into the Roman Colonia, the medieval city of churches, guilds and merchants, the destruction of the Second World War and subsequent reconstruction, as well as modern urban development and present-day Cologne with its unique local spirit and unmistakable Kölsch way of life.
A special highlight is Cologne Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover its extraordinary dimensions, its long and eventful construction history, its most famous treasures and some of its most curious details.
Please note: This guided tour focuses exclusively on the exterior of Cologne Cathedral and does not include a guided visit inside. It is a fascinating experience in its own right and the perfect introduction or complement to exploring the cathedral’s interior independently.
Please note
- extra Ticketed event (additional costs)
- Limited capacity (max. 20 participants) places are allocated on a first come, first served basis
- Booking is required during registration process
- Language: English
- Duration: 2 hours
- Meeting point: At the Kreuzblume monument in front of KölnTourismus (opposite the main entrance of Cologne Cathedral)
- End point: tbd
Kölner Altstadt & Kölner Dom
©KölnTourismus/Chris Weiher – CC-BY-SA
Culinary Cologne Guided City Tour:
Friday 6November 2026
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM (currently scheduled)
Price: 32,00 Euro per person, incl. tastings
Explore some of Cologne’s tastiest corners around Rudolfplatz and the Belgian Quarter on this guided culinary walk. Along the way, discover fascinating stories about Cologne’s culinary history, the culture of food and enjoyment, and the city’s distinctive local shopping scene. At selected tasting stops in small speciality shops, you’ll sample a variety of Cologne delicacies – from traditional dark bread and speciality cheeses to trendy deli snacks, a refreshing glass of Kölsch beer or a sweet treat.
Please note:
- extra Ticketed event (additional costs)
- Limited capacity (max. 15 participants) places are allocated on a first come, first served basis
- Booking is required during registration process
- Language: English
- Duration: 2 hours
- Meeting point: tbd
End point: tbd
Information for all guided tours
- All guided tours take place subject to a minimum number of participants. If the minimum number of participants is not reached, the tour will be cancelled and all participants will be informed by email and receive a full refund of their booking fee.
- The City Tour on Friday and Tour to DLR Cologne are expected to take place at approximately the same time, during the morning to midday. Therefore, it will most likely not be possible to participate in both tours.
Networking Evening with food & beverage in a Local Brewery in Cologne
Thursday, 05 November 2026, approx. 19:00 - 21:30
Location: Dom im Stapelhaus, Frankenwerft 35, 50667 Cologne
Price: 35,00 Euro per person
A haven in the heart of the city, where history meets modern culinary delights.
Located within the historic walls of the Stapelhaus, this brewery offers an exceptional setting for a unique dining experience.
Restaurant “Dom im Stapelhaus” is known for its cozy, rustic atmosphere with dark wood and modern accents, as well as its regional German cuisine and locally brewed Kölsch beer on its terrace with views of the Rhine.
Details:
- Limited capacity (maximum 180 participants) places are allocated on a first come, first served basis
- extra Ticketed event (additional costs)
- Booking is required during registration process
- included : brewhouse food & 3 drinks
Guided Tour to the DLR premises in Cologne
Friday, 06 November 2026, approx. 9:30 - 12:30
Language of the tour: English
Price 20,00 Euro per person
Preliminary Programme:
- Start in Foyer of bld. 53 (DLR Casino)
- Walking to MUSC
- : envihab
- Solar furnace
- LUNA Analog Facility
Please note:
- extra Ticketed event (additional costs)
- Limited capacity (max. 100 participants) places are allocated on a first come, first served basis
- Booking is required during registration process
- Language: English
- Duration: 2,5 hours
- bus transfer
- Departure: from the venue Confex Cologne to the DLR & ESA premises
with return transfer to Confex - Meeting Time: tbd
The preliminary tour programm is subject to changes depending on the final number of the participants.The final decision on the offered tours and splitting into groups will be made by the organizer and announced during the conference.
For guests travelling onwards after the tour:
There is a convenient bus connection to Köln-Wahn railway station. From there, you can easily reach Cologne Central Station (Köln Hbf) and Siegburg/Bonn station for onward train connections towards Frankfurt, as well as Cologne Bonn Airport.
Microgravity User Support Center (MUSC):
The Microgravity User Support Centre (MUSC) prepares, oversees and evaluates experiments conducted under reduced-gravity conditions. Its tasks include certifying the flight readiness of space experiments and operating specific ground infrastructure for monitoring and control of space-flight payloads.
© DLR. All rights reserved
:envihab - the Institute of Aerospace Medicine:
The Institute of Aerospace Medicine conducts research to promote the health and performance of people in a mobile society. Its activities focus on life science problems in the areas of spaceflight, aviation and transport. Space medicine investigates basic functions of the human body in the absence of gravity. Interventions are developed to counteract the adverse effects of weightlessness on the human body, such as the loss of bone and muscle. In the research facility :envihab (environment+habitat) scientists can study the impact of extreme environmental conditions on humans and develop appropriate countermeasures.
© DLR. All rights reserved
High Flux Solar Furnace – Institute of Solar Research:
The institute develops concentrating solar technologies for electricity, process heat and fuel generation for a sustainable energy supply in various collaborations with industry and research partners. The institute operates several large-scale facilities and test laboratories for basic research, application-oriented projects as well as for providing services for customers in industry or research.
Building of the high flux solar furnace in Cologne. Source: ©DLR. All rights reserved
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are jointly offering LUNA, a fundamental facility for the preparation of future human and robotic missions to the Moon at the Cologne site. With its unique infrastructure and the seamless integration into the campus, LUNA enables complex simulations for lunar surface activities of astronauts and robotic systems. LUNA thus is an important and relevant part within existing international capabilities.
LUNA establishes an internationally distinct and visible competence centre for Moon activities as German-European contribution to the continued exploration of space.
Simulated lunar south pole environment in the LUNA Analog Facility. © DLR/ESA (Aileen Rabsahl)
Important information:
- Access to the DLR premises is only possible with a valid ID card or passport.
- Driving licenses, student IDs, and residence permits will not be accepted. You will receive a visitor's badge at the DLR gate which must be worn visibly for the duration of your visit to DLR and returned to the DLR gate before leaving the DLR premises.
- It is not permitted to make any video and photo recording on the DLR premises.
This restriction does not apply to the ESA sites. - The tour lasts approx. 2,5 h. As the grounds are rather spacious there shall be walks of up to 20 minutes in-between the various facilities. Please adjust your clothing and shoe accordingly.
If the weather is not perfect, umbrellas, coats and good shoes will be advisable.