Space, New Technologies and Sustainability

Celebrate International Women’s Month with us! Join us for this event honoring the work of women scientists and their pioneer spirit.

Our first workshop features Dr. Ioana Cozmuta, Romanian American world expert in materials, microgravity and space.

This event inaugurates a special Speakers Series as part of the Heritage Language Program Grant, awarded by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Migrant/Bilingual Department to the Wenatchee School District and other local organizations, ARCS among them, to develop a year-long remote learning program for Heritage Language speakers of Romanian, Russian,  Spanish and Ukrainian. Other upcoming events will feature speakers representing the Ukrainian, Russian and Spanish-speaking communities included in the grant.

Register HERE.

Event organized in partnership with World Affairs Council -Global Classroom, the Ethnic Heritage Council, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Migrant/Bilingual Department and Wenatchee School District.

More about This Event:

Since 1961, when Yuri Gagarin became the first human to fly to and successfully return from space, humanity has made unprecedented leaps in the exploration of space such as setting foot on the surface of the Moon through the Apollo missions and permanently inhabiting the International Space Station for the past two decades!

The year 2010 marked yet another important transformation with SpaceX’s first successful orbital flight operated by a commercial company set to increase the frequency, reduce the price and broadening opportunities to access space. Not only has space technology continued to advance rapidly; SpaceX’s success has laid the grounds for a wave of commercial companies and private investments currently building and expanding infrastructure in low earth orbit and beyond.

The benefits of space extend well beyond technological advancements. They impact every single aspect of our life on Earth from forecasting natural disasters and sustainable utilization of natural resources to enabling remote healthcare, climate change monitoring and disaster management to name a few. The United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) has captured how space is supporting the Sustainable Development Goals under the Space4SDG’s branding.

As the New Space movement continues to grow so does its reach and impact on our day-to-day life. Next on the horizon is a new wave of companies developing technologies and manufacturing processes that will ultimately result in moving Earth manufacturing into space. From designing superior materials and products without gravity to leveraging on direct access to space solar power, vacuum, and ultra-low temperatures such a shift will be a strong correcting force to counterbalance pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, severe degradation of Earth ecosystem services, loss of biodiversity, climate change, etc.

Enabling civil society the experience of flying into space it is foreseen that it will trigger a mass-scale shift in humanity’s own awareness and accelerate the path towards enlightenment through propagating the Overview effect – that miraculous sense of awe and deep respect towards the uniqueness of life on planet Earth, our only home amongst the stars.

Ioana Cozmuta