{"id":84073,"date":"2015-12-30T07:07:14","date_gmt":"2015-12-30T05:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.technion.ac.il\/blog\/1st-in-israel-at-technion-the-international-space-university\/"},"modified":"2015-12-30T07:07:14","modified_gmt":"2015-12-30T05:07:14","slug":"1st-in-israel-at-technion-the-international-space-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.technion.ac.il\/en\/blog\/1st-in-israel-at-technion-the-international-space-university\/","title":{"rendered":"1st in Israel at Technion – The International Space University"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2016, 47 years after walking on the moon, astronaut Buzz Aldrin will be present at Technion to participate in the events of the International Space University\u2019s Space Studies Program. Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, recently joined the International Space University as Chancellor.<\/h2>\n
\"Aldrin<\/a>
Aldrin walks on the surface of the Moon during Apollo 11<\/strong>
Photo: NASA<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The prestigious ISU course, held for the first time in the Middle East, will also be attended by Rona Ramon and Israel\u2019s Minister of Science, Technology, and Space, Ofir Akunis. Various events open to the public will be held, including a rocket launching competition, discussions on the latest innovations in space and a panel discussion on the Columbia disaster.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Each year, the ISU<\/strong> <\/span><\/a>selects a location around the world to host the annual summer session of its Space Studies Program (SSP). Recent sessions have taken place, amongst others, at the NASA Ames Research Center, Beijing, Melbourne (Florida), and at ETS and HEC in Montreal, Quebec. This year, for the first time, the university has chosen an Israeli institution, and the 2016 summer session (the program\u2019s 29th session) will be held at the Technion between July 12 and September 1, 2016. It will be coordinated by the Asher Space Research Institute<\/a>,<\/strong><\/span> headed by Prof. Pini Gurfil.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpace is becoming more and more international,\u201d explains John Connolly, senior engineer at NASA and director of the International Space University\u2019s Space Studies Program (SSP). \u201cMissions are bigger and more complex, like the international space station, and require cooperation among agencies and among countries. That\u2019s why the Space University operates in a different location around the world each year, and we are happy to be coming to the Technion this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Around 100 participants will take part in the Space Studies Program to be held this summer at the Technion, along with around 150 space experts from academia and industry, astronauts and directors of space agencies from around the world.<\/p>\n

ISU participants are carefully selected, based on the concept that they will be the space leaders of the future. Indeed, many graduates of the International Space University\u2019s program already hold senior positions in the global aerospace industry. The Israeli Ministry of Science, Technology, and Space is offering about 10 fellowships of up to 25,000 NIS for individuals who are interested in participating at ISU this coming summer.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The International Space University 2016 at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cISU has a long-standing relationship with Israel in general and Technion in particular,\u201d said ISU President Prof. Walter Peeters, \u201cand many participants of Israel were able, thanks in part to the Ilan Ramon Fund, to attend ISU programs previously. It is therefore a genuine pleasure for ISU to further enhance this relationship and convene the SSP16 session in Haifa. It is evident that there will be considerable interest from other countries to discover more closely the amazing hi-tech achievements and cultural richness of the host site.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Technion is proud to host the 29th annual Space Studies Program (SSP) in Haifa,\u201d said Technion President Prof. Peretz Lavie. \u201cThe Technion is one of the first universities to launch a satellite and has an active space program. We will ensure that the 29th program will be an exciting event that will allow the participants to experience first-hand Technion scientific achievements, and the beauty and culture of Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n

ISU\u2019s prestigious summer courses last two months and will offer participants a unique and comprehensive professional development experience covering all aspects of space programs and enterprises, such as space sciences; space engineering; space policy, economics and law; space management; space applications; and human performance in space. This program targets young and seasoned professionals from all disciplines as well as young university graduates. The group projects allow participants to focus on their field as a team, and produce high quality presentations and reports within a few weeks.<\/p>\n