Space Generation Congress Prague 2010

Between 23-25 September 2010, the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) held its annual Space Generation Congress (SGC) in Prague, Czech Republic, gathering 100 young professionals and university students from 40 countries with space sector leaders and subject matter experts. SGC  was hosted by Charles University, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics.

UN  SGAC was conceived at the Third United Nations conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Space and has a permanent observer status in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). The outputs of SGC were introduced by SGAC representatives at the International Astronautical Congress and will be presented to UNCOPUOS as well.

Space Generation Congress Prague 2010 (credits: SGAC/japrea)

This year´s SGC  was divided into two sections – lectures and working sessions.

SGC Prague 2010 - Ariane Cornell - Berndt Feuerbacher - Agnieszka Lukaszczyk (credits: SGAC/japrea)

Featured speakers  and guests of this year's congress were Barbara Adde (Policy and Strategic Communications Manager for the NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Program)Charles F. Bolden, jr.(Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration), Chris De Cooker (Head of the International Relations Department at the European Space Agency), Berndt Feuerbacher (President of the International Astronautical Federation), Mike Kearny (Chairman and General Secretary of the Consultative Committee for Space DATA Systems), John Logsdon (professor at Jonh Washington University), Clayton Mowry (president of Arianespace, Inc.), Zděněk Němeček (dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics), Dumitru Prunariu (Chairman of the UN COPUOS), William Watson (Executive Director of the Space Frontier Foundation ), Ray Williamson (Executive Director of the Secure World Foundation) a Jim Zimmerman (President of International Space Services, Inc.).

Space Generation Congress Prague 2010 (credits: SGAC/japrea)

Students and other participants were separated into 5 working groups. Each group had its own main topic and its main conclusions and reccomendations  were  presented at the end of the Congress and summarized in short reports.

Climate change working group suggested to get local communities more involved by using people's portable equipment and cell phones to recognize  changes.

Second  group focused on industrial activities discussed spacecraft launching capabilities and the future of commercial space-flight. 

Space Generation Congress Prague 2010 (credits: SGAC/japrea)

Members of  group evaluating work of space agencies pointed out that the cooperation of individual companies is not going as well as it should. They were trying to figure out solution.

Next group talked about space exploraiton and human space flight. They analysed the motivation  to keep exploring and  effects of human spaceflight.

Outreach group suggested the best ways of cosmonautic propagation among young people and general public.

Space Generation Congress Prague 2010 (credits: SGAC/japrea)

All of these suggestions will be summarized in the final report of Space Generation Congress 2010 and submited to the UN as well as to all organizations that cooperate with SGAC.

SGC Prague 2010 - Closing Gala dinner - Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator (credits: SGAC/japrea)

The highlight of SGC 2010 was Saturday's Galadinner. 28 participants from especially developing regions were awarded by SGAC schollarships for the most tallented people. Schollarship helped to a lot of participants to raise money for their comming to congress. Scholarhips also ensure the worldwide operability of SGAC.

The most interresting speaker of the night was Charles F. Bolden, jr. He had very impressive speach encouraging young generaion of engineers, scientists, enthusiasts and students to get more involved with space and space technologies.

SGC Prague 2010 - Closing Gala dinner - Team SGAC and Team CSO (credits: SGAC/japrea)

(Processed from informations by Ondřej Bruna)

Czech Space Office, Education Centre
Prvního pluku 17, 186 00 Praha 8
Milan Halousek, e-mail: halousek@czechspace.cz
tel.: 602 153 564