MINSK, 23 March (BelTA) - Belarus is ready to host the Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers in September, Andrew Turnage, the Executive Director of the Association of Space Explorers, told the media in Minsk on 23 March, BelTA has learned.
The congress is held every year in different countries. According to the ASE executive director, the host party may bring something new to the event but the the focus is always on the interaction with children and young people to promote space exploration.
“Usually, when we arrive in a country that will host the congress we start from scratch. We explain the host party what our goals and objectives are, what our focus is. This time the situation was somewhat different. Last year's congress in France was attended by a group of specialists from Belarus, and we discussed how we wanted to hold this event. So when we arrived in Belarus, everything was practically ready: the technical program was prepared, the cultural program was done at the highest level,” Andrew Turnage noted. According to him, there are some technicalities that need to be discussed yet, including the organization of meetings of the cosmonauts and astronauts with young people.
Belarus-born cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky noted that the decision to hold the congress in Belarus shows the recognition of the country's space capabilities. He said that he would do his best to attend the congress in Minsk but everything would depend on this flight training schedule.
Members of the Executive Committee of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE) are on a visit to Belarus on 21-26 March. They are shown the venues that will be used during the congress in September: BelAZ, the Palace of the Republic, Belexpo, Minsk Aeroclub DOSAAF, the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus.
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.
