부산에 오신 것을 환영합니다! Welcome to Busan!
The 45th COSPAR Scientific Assembly is well underway now. We had stimulating lectures on Saturday at the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), covering new missions and developments, space sustainability, planetary protection and space law. In the afternoon, we were treated to an amazing airshow, over the beach, by the 53rd Air Demonstration Group “Black Eagles”.
For COSPAR 2024, we have a different Guest Editor for the Assembly blog each day, each with a different background, bringing you a different perspective on the activities during the week. The first blog covering Sunday is by Emily Ugbodu, the COSPAR intern, who is already involved in one of our Erasmus+ projects and who will be staffing the COSPAR booth in the Exhibition area—do drop by to say hello and see what we have on the stand.
She says: “Today was the first day of scientific sessions at the Assembly, starting for many people with registration and a goody bag – including a thermos mug for all of the needed coffee after the long flights. The free coffee breaks made for the first meetings among students, young researchers, expeditioners and others, and the first interdisciplinary lectures gathered lots of people. We learned about fossil fuels and that we are on the brink of both climate disaster and climate solution. The lecture about space biology and the stressors on the human body in space was also educational for me. Did you know that radiation causes DNA damage?
Next was the opening for the Exhibition not just for the attendees, but also for the public today. Booths from the Korean Aerospace Industries and NASA, among others, presented their work and newest projects while visitors got to enjoy a variety of goodies. One booth that cannot be missed is, of course, COSPAR’s: among the many things presented here is the new Erasmus+ project EXPLORE, in collaboration with the Austrian Space Forum, NUCLIO, Ellinogermaniki Agogi and Observatorio do Lago Alqueva. In this project, high school students will become analog astronauts. Teachers will be trained to become astronaut trainers for their students and together with the EXPLORE scientists and the toolkits, provided by the project partners for free, the students will learn about space exploration, group work, problem-solving and autonomy, to name a few things.
A successful start of the Assembly!”
(Editor’s Note: if you’re interested in EXPLORE or StAnd –Students as Planetary Defenders–be sure to sign up for the newsletter at the booth. And if you want to share your photos or feedback in this blog, just drop us a line during the week: leigh.fergus-at-cosparhq.cnes.fr)