The KAUST community recently had the celestial opportunity to hear from Saudi and international astronauts who shared invaluable insights and practical advice during an open session of the Space 2102 program.
Fostering trust and encouraging children to venture beyond their comfort zones was one key message to parents from Saudi Space Agency (SSA) astronaut Mariam Fardous at the April 23, 2024 gathering. To those young people hoping for careers in the burgeoning space industry, she stressed the importance of hard work and positive thinking. “Try your best to know what you want and what makes you happy. Eventually, you’ll reach your goal.”
Joining Fardous onstage were NASA astronauts Kathryn Thornton and Sam Gemar, as well as European analog astronaut Charlotte Pouwels. The crew enthralled its audience through an engaging panel discussion. Thornton said KAUST is still relatively new and thus keenly focused on progress, giving it an advantage over other universities in terms of developing space-related research and talent. “You’re looking to the future because you’re so young.”
The recent community event was an integral part of the broader Space 2102 program, April 21-25, which was the highly-anticipated sequel to last year’s inaugural Space 2101. For Gemar, the only astronaut to attend both programs, KAUST has proven its exemplary dedication to early engagement in space science. He highlighted the importance of advancing the Kingdom’s space sector, which could greatly benefit both domestic and global economies.
Interestingly, Saudi Arabia’s physical landscapes are well-suited for simulating environments on other planets, Thornton added, which is a unique way to support space exploration here on Earth. “When I look at Saudi, it looks pretty similar to Mars — at least from what I’ve seen. I think Saudi would be a perfect location for an analog facility.”
Along with a selection of qualifying TKS students, Space 2102 saw more than 150 talented Saudi youth from across the nation converge on campus for an exploration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through the lens of space. Further, teams competed in a CubeSat Challenge, designing and testing CubeSat missions aimed at preserving and growing Red Sea coral reefs.
The winning team included TKS student Imaad Rehman, Talal AlZuhairi, Riyadh Schools, Leen Albasher, Admire International Academy in Dammam, Maryam Bazroun, and Abdullah Alhayik, both from Dammam’s Al Tahtheeb Schools.
