“Space and Sustainability: On the compatibility of space research and socio-ecological transformation"

|   Aktuelles, Seminare, Veranstaltungen

From 7 to 10 June 2022, 13 KAAD scholarship holders and one Cusanuswerk scholar met in Bonn to discuss the topic "Space and Sustainability: On the Compatibility of Space Research and Social-Ecological Transformation" under the direction of Dr. Thomas Krüggeler. Fr. Prof. Dr. Thomas Eggensperger accompanied the group spiritually. He also reflected on the topic in a Holy Mass on the morning of 9 June.

In his introductory lecture ("Wir sind alle Astronaut*innen: Die Raum-Fahrt der Gesellschaft", “We are all astronauts: The journey into space of society”), the Berlin sociologist Prof. Dr. DierkSpreen offered a very informative insight into the genesis of institutional aerospace and the process that turned aerospace into a social and even a private business object. In doing so, Dierk Spreen does not see any contradiction between the human quest for sustainable economic action and space travel; rather, he defines it as an integral part of human activity geared towards sustainability. At the same time, he acknowledges that very general questions (e.g. "Who owns space?") and political questions about sharing the benefits and profits of space exploration are far from settled at international level.

The programme manager for life sciences at the German Aerospace Center (DLR, Bonn), Dr. rer. nat. habil. Markus Braun, emphasised in his lecture ("Research in Space and Exploration for People on Earth") that the German space strategy draws its justification from its orientation towards the interests and needs of people on earth.

Markus Braun facilitated an impressive visit for the group to the German Aerospace Center on the outskirts of Cologne. There, the group was given a tour of the Microgravity User Support Center (MUSC) and the Envihab medical research facility. Finally, the Head of the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) of the European Space Agency (ESA), Dr Rüdiger Seine, received the scholarship holders at his institute. Life recordings of the activities on the International Space Station ISS and the concrete insight into the original model of the European space laboratory "Columbus" will be remembered by the participants of this exciting seminar for a long time.

 

Dr. Rüdiger Seine, Leiter des European Astronaut Center, mit KAAD-Stipendiaten

Students in the model of the European ISS module Columbus

Dr. Rüdiger Seine und Dr. habil. Markus Braun im DLR Köln

They gave the scholarship holders an unforgettable insight into space travel: Dr Rüdiger Seine, Head of the European Astronaut Centre at ESA and Dr habil. Markus Braun, DLR's Life Sciences Programme Manager (l.t.r.)

Die Stipendiatengruppe  auf dem Gelände des German Aerospace Center in Köln

The group of scholarship holders on the grounds of the German Aerospace Center in Cologne