…as a base for the first international space innovation center to be located in Nicosia

George Danos, President of the Cyprus Space Exploration Organization (CSEO), said it was a great honor for Cyprus.

“After so many years and so much effort, the dream is coming true,” he said, adding that it is a unique feeling “to see your country chosen as the center of international space cooperation.”

Danos said that in order for humanity to be able to return to the moon, global cooperation is needed. Cyprus, in his opinion, is capable of building bridges of global cooperation, since it is a country friendly to all nations.

“Thanks to Cyprus, all countries will be able to cooperate in the space sector,” he stressed Danos.

He also added that the C-SpaRC project, worth several million euros, funded jointly by the European Union, the Foundation for Research and Innovation and NASA, is designed to revolutionize our understanding of space and its impact on humanity.

The center will focus on critical research areas such as space weather, human spaceflight and the development of advanced space technologies, playing an important role in supporting NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon and ensure a sustainable presence there.

As part of this project, a protocol on cooperation was signed between CSEO and the NASA-funded Translational Research Institute for Space Health. This collaboration will focus on health issues in human exploration of deep space, ensuring the safety and well-being of astronauts on future NASA missions to the Moon and Mars.

“We have signed an agreement with NASA in Cyprus. It allows NASA scientists to collaborate with Cypriot and foreign scientists on unique projects, as well as create a global infrastructure here in Cyprus,” Danos said.

The head of CSEO said that the problems that scientists have to solve to protect astronauts in space are applicable on Earth, in people’s daily lives.

“Some people ask why space is when there are so many problems on Earth. This is because the solutions that come from space bring everything we need here to Earth,” he said.

He cited the example of biological experiments that will be conducted with microsatellites that will be built in Cyprus.  In addition, microsatellites will monitor the Earth from space and will be able to protect the environment by detecting fires as soon as they break out. Other environmental problems, such as beach pollution, illegal deforestation, and so on, will also be identified from space.

He also expressed hope that these efforts will allow Cypriot scientists working abroad to return to their homeland, as they now have the opportunity to work on projects with NASA.

https://cyprusbutterfly.com.cy/news/kipr-stanet-bazoj-pervogo-mezhdunarodnogo