A Polish scientific communication expert has become the first person from the CEE to join the European Space Agency (ESA) advisory group.
Dubbed a ‘science populariser’ for his work making scientific matters more accessible to the public, Dr. Tomasz Rożek has been appointed to work on determining the direction of space technology development in Europe.
First approached for the role on LinkedIn, Rożek said: “Our work will not involve designing a new rocket, engine or mission. Instead, we will create a report that, from every point of view, will set directions for the development of space technology in Europe.
“Our task will be to determine the direction in which Europe should develop space technologies. I specialise in education and communication and I will gladly share my experience and intuitions.”
He added that in his opinion, the development of the space sector and the transfer of space technologies can be and in many places is the flywheel of modern economies.
The High-Level Advisory Group for Human and Robotic Space Exploration for Europe (HLAG) was established by ESA Director General, Josef Aschbacher.
It consists of 12 people, including the former Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum Saadia Zahidi, CEO of Boston Consulting Christoph Schweizer, and former Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation Cristiana Garmendia.
Group meetings will take place in various ESA research centres, not only in Europe.
The group is intended to consist not of specialists in the field of space technologies, but experts in fields that are inextricably linked to space, such as scientific communication.
The first HLAG meeting will take place at the end of September at ESA’s European Space Science and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
Tomasz Rożek is a physicist, journalist and experienced promoter of science. The project Nauka. To lubię (Science. I like it) foundation he founded in 2020 was awarded by the jury of the Popularizer of Science 2021 competition.
The organization's mission includes educational activities, promotion of science and technology, and beneficial support of the state and society, especially families, in the area of the use of science and technology. (PAP)
Author: Karolina Duszczyk
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