MINSK, 27 March (BelTA) – An international congress of the Association of Space Explorers will take place in Belarus in 2018, BelTA learned from Piotr Vityaz, Head of the Office of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB).
According to the source, a Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers will take place in Belarus in September 2018. The decision was made by the session of the Association of Space Explorers in Toulouse, France on 27 March.
Piotr Vityaz said he believes that the fact that Belarus has been chosen to host the event indicates that the international community has recognized the country's contribution to space exploration. “It is a recognition of Belarus' accomplishments in space exploration. There is no doubt that Belarus will painstakingly prepare for the congress,” noted Piotr Vityaz.
The official did not specify which locations in Belarus will be used for hosting the congress. “Now we will get in touch with other government agencies to prepare for the forum. Organization details will be revealed later,” he added.
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 congress that will take place in Belarus will be the 31st congress on record. The Planetary Congress gathers prominent cosmonauts and astronauts, representatives of scientific institutions, and national space agencies every year.
