Sessions with European Astronauts in Portugal reached more than a thousand young attendees
Public sessions promoted by the Portuguese Space Agency with European astronauts from the ASE took place between 30 May and 1 June. The visits were part of the European general assembly of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), held in Portugal for the first time.
From last Friday to Sunday, more than a thousand young people and children from various regions of the country had the opportunity to meet and speak with some of the most renowned European astronauts. The occasion was the visit of 13 ASE astronauts to Portugal, coinciding with the European general assembly of the association.
The Portuguese Space Agency partnered with the ASE to organise open activities in Castelo Branco, Constância, Lisbon, Oeiras, Santiago do Cacém, Seixal and Sintra, to bring the public closer to Space through the stories and experiences of those who have been there.
“This initiative was very important for the Portuguese Space Agency, which considers it a priority to raise awareness of the opportunities in the space sector among the general public, especially younger generations who may one day be part of the national space ecosystem. That’s why we made an effort to organise these sessions, which were very well received by several communities,” said Hugo Costa, Executive Director of the Agency.
Among the astronauts present was Pedro Duque, President of ASE-Europe, who visited the city of Castelo Branco. In an interview with Público, the Spanish astronaut and former Minister for Science and Innovation highlighted the inspirational role of such initiatives: “We astronauts understand that one of the ways we can give back to society is by inspiring children to develop a passion for knowledge. Few of them will go to space, but we believe we can help educators instill in them the magical idea that ‘the more we know, the more fun we can have’.”
Joining Pedro Duque were astronauts Helen Sharman, André Kuipers, Christer Fuglesang, Franz Viehböck, Gerhard Thiele, Thomas Reiter, Dumitru Prunariu, Ulrich Walter, Jannicke Mikkelsen, Alper Gezeravci, Paolo Nespoli and Reinhold Ewald. The latter two were guest speakers at the session From Space to Pavilhão do Conhecimento, held on 1 June at Pavilhão do Conhecimento, in Lisbon.
The visit also marked the 50th anniversary of the European Space Agency (ESA), celebrated on Friday, 30 May. On that day, the 13 ASE-Europe astronauts visited the Centre for Aerospace Medicine Studies (CEMA) at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, as well as the company Lusospace. On Saturday, the Champalimaud Foundation also welcomed the astronauts, showcasing the scientific and technological advances developed by the institution.
