Space Fest, the largest event dedicated to space exploration, organised by the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), concluded in Bucharest. The Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania (FDVDR) was this year among the "Space Fest" partners. It participated in the European SpaceFEST 2024 Summit with young innovators and awarded the winner of the painting competition at the Space Fest Gala.
At the European SpaceFEST 2024 Summit, an event dedicated to the Romanian aerospace industry, organised by the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), Antonio Florin Iordache, a Romanian student participating in the "100 Youngsters for Romania's Development" campaign run by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania, presented his spacecraft project.
Antonio was imbued with the aspiration to achieve remarkable feats and to revolutionise the field of space travel from an early age. Over the years, he has transformed his enthusiasm for space exploration into a series of innovative projects. He recently returned from the International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles, where he presented his project to a distinguished audience of scientists, astronauts, entrepreneurs, and experts.
The project, entitled "Bullet," sought to transform a negative societal impact into a positive one with the potential to benefit humanity in the future. The radar is designed to be mounted on bombs and enables the user to detect targets more easily, thus avoiding any impact before the intended target.
The European SpaceFEST 2024 Summit was attended by a number of NASA astronauts. Among the attendees was Susan Kilrain, who was also present at the National Space Society's International Competition, the NASA Space Settlement Contest, which was won by Antonio Florin Iordache with 4th place.
"We plan to go back to the Moon in the near future and hope that this will take us further to Mars. The key for me would be better and faster propulsion, which would speed us up and get us there faster," said the NASA astronaut.
Exceptional young people from the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania had the opportunity to present their latest inventions to a panel of experts.
"There are individuals from a variety of industries and geographical locations who are engaged in the aerospace industry. These include specialists such as astronauts, as well as a diverse range of professionals from industry, including those involved in the private space sector, including the companies currently developing the new International Space Station," stated Mihnea Cosmin Costoiu, Rector of the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest.
Concurrently, as an educational partner of Space Fest, the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania bestowed awards upon the winners of the drawing contest with the theme "Cosmic Space." This contest afforded students from across the country the opportunity to exhibit their work on the POLITEHNICA Bucharest campus. The competition was won by Mara Sofia Dinu, a second-grade student from Ana Lugojana Primary and Secondary School in Bucharest. Her drawing, which depicted a colourful and fascinating outer space, was particularly well received by the SpaceFEST participants and received the most votes.
