Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 11 September (BelTA) – Youth should be engaged in space exploration, President of the Association of Space Explorers, U.S. astronaut Bonnie Dunbar told journalists on the sidelines of the 31st Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers in Minsk, BelTA has learned.

“Talking about Belarus’ future in space, I think that your country is undoubtedly advancing in this direction. The fact that Belarus suggested holding the congress here is very symbolic and reflects the desire to reach the stars, space and to explore the universe. We are impressed by everything that is happening here, be it a satellite for the remote sensing of Earth, the aviation or unmanned aerial vehicles that Belarus is developing and manufacturing. Importantly, Belarus is making efforts to raise a new generation that is interested in space and will take part in space exploration in the future,” Bonnie Dunbar said.

Astronauts and cosmonauts are set to visit Belarusian schools, universities, institutes of the National Academy of Sciences, Minsk Suvorov military school on Wednesday, 12 September. They will talk about space flights and answer questions. Their aim is to popularize space, increase interest in this profession and enhance its prestige. “We hope that the meetings will encourage young people to become scientists, engineers, space explorers in the future,” the president of the association noted.

Bonnie Dunbar has been in space for five times and has become the ninth woman in space. “I have dreamed about spaceflights since I was a child and I was lucky to make this dream come true. If you go into space one time, you want do it again and again,” she added.

Minsk is playing host to the 31st Planetary Congress of the Association of Space Explorers on 9-15 September. Over 80 cosmonauts and astronauts from 17 countries are taking part in the event. The theme of the congress is Creating the Future of Space. The space explorers laid flowers at the Victory Monument on 11 September. During the day the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is hosting two technical sessions built around the theme “Our Future in Space”.

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.