The Belarusian capital became a world space center this week. Minsk hosted the 31st International Congress of the Association of Space Flight Participants. About 200 delegates from 17 countries took part in the forum, more than 80 of them are cosmonauts and astronauts, those who saw the Earth from a height of hundreds of kilometers with their own eyes.
The choice of Minsk, as a large dialogue platform, confirms the fact that the international community recognizes Belarus's achievements in the space sphere. As noted by Alexander Lukashenko at the opening of the forum, the names of Belarusian scientists and cosmonauts are inscribed in the history of the space era: Vladimir Kovalyonok, Pyotr Klimuk and Oleg Novitskiy.
Innovations of our scientists work successfully on board the International Space Station.
For participants of the first day of the space forum, extraterrestrial video communication was organized. The crews of two expeditions are now in orbit, including Oleg Artemyev, an astronaut with Belarusian roots, who welcomed the participants of the Congress directly from the ISS.
Belarus is not just hospitable, it is on an equal footing today. At the dawn of the Belarusian space program many people were skeptical about it. The fact that our country made the right choice was once again stressed by the Head of State at the official opening of the International Congress.
We have only two satellites so far. But, in the language of astronautics it is a space grouping, with its MCC, fundamental and applied science, technical school and plans for further peaceful exploration of outer space. The Belarusian space drags dozens of adjacent spheres upwards, for example, the sphere of new materials, nano-structures, communication, prevention and minimization of disasters, satellite-controlled harvesters, cartography and ecology. And still this is not a complete list. For example, there are only two leading manufacturers of cosmic mirrors with high smoothness in the world: in the USA and in Belarus. We also have joint programs with Russia.
In general, the program of the forum was full. NASA experts have announced that the countdown to the flight of the first man to Mars has already been launched. Another loud conquest of space will take place in the next 10 years. Tourist flights will become more frequent.
