MINSK, 22 March (BelTA) – The Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers, which is scheduled to take place in Minsk in September 2018, will raise the interest in space exploration among young people, deputy chairman of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Sergei Kilin told the media ahead of the meeting of Executive Committee of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) on 22 March, BelTA informs.
Belarus' initiative to hold the ASE Planetary Congress in Minsk in 2018 was approved by the session of the Association's executive committee in Toulouse, France on 25-27 March 2017. “This is a special event. Belarus has never hosted such an event. There was quite a tough competition for the right to hold the congress, and we won. This is the recognition of Belarus' successes in the space sector. We make part of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. We have our Earth remote sensing satellite, and the Belintersat 1 satellite. Our space science is developing at a fast pace, especially our optics and materials science. The activities of the association, which members will come for the congress in Minsk in September, are aimed at attracting young people to space exploration. The education in the field of space technologies is a new area for us. However, this direction has already been developing. The Congress in Minsk will also contribute to attracting young people to the sector,” said Sergei Kilin.
The program of the meeting includes six technical sessions at the National Academy of Sciences and the President Hotel. The participants of the meeting will also visit the venues that are to be used during the 31st Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers: BelAZ, the Palace of the Republic, Belexpo, Minsk Aeroclub DOSAAF, the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus. “It is important for us to meet the requirements of the ASE Executive Committee and to present Belarus' capabilities to the international space community,” Sergei Kilin said.
“It is a great honor to receive an invitation to visit Belarus to attend the congress in September. The aim of our current visit is to make planning for the congress. We plan to visit all the sites that are included in the program of the congress and discuss all issues with the organizers. One of our goals during the congress is to promote space research. We will tell adults and children about our work in space, about the space stations, flights. We will hold meetings in the academies of sciences, universities, will visit schools,” said Bonnie J. Dunbar, the president of the Association of Space Explorers.
Pilot-Cosmonaut, Deputy Director for Science of the Russian State Scientific Center Oleg Kotov said that the members of the ASE Executive Committee were impressed by Belarusian hospitality and are pleased to visit Minsk. “We are very happy that this year's host is Minsk. It is important for Belarus and Russia as we work together in the Union State. It is our shared scientific heritage, the things that unite us,” he said.
“Minsk is a very beautiful, very clean city with interesting architecture, original style. The most striking impression is open, hospitable people. We hope that the congress om September will be held at the highest level and will contribute to the popularization of the space industry,” said Yang Liwei, the director general of China Manned Space Agency and China's first man in space.
Attending the event are ten members of the Executive Committee, including cosmonauts from Russia, the United States, China, Germany, and France. The meeting is also be attended by cosmonauts born in Belarus: President of the Russian Federation of Cosmonautics, two-time Hero of the Soviet Union Vladimir Kovalenok and also Pilot-Cosmonaut, Hero of Russia Oleg Novitsky.
The Association of Space Explorers is an international not-for-profit organization that unites cosmonauts and astronauts from many countries. It was established in 1985 to share the best practices in the area of manned space flights.
The Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers gathers cosmonauts and representatives of scientific research institutions and national space agencies on an annual basis. The 31st Congress will be held in Minsk on 9-15 September. Among the invitees are about 350 people, including 150 cosmonauts. The program of the congress will include a plenary session, meetings of technical sections, and an exhibition of space technologies. Participants of the congress will address representatives of various organizations and higher educational institutions of Belarus, and get acquainted with the cultural and historical heritage of the country.
