A worldwide presentation of the exhibition “Space Travel” takes place at the Heydar Aliyev Center

First worldwide presentation of the exhibition “Space Travel” of U.S. Space & Rocket Center took place, December 3^rd, at the Heydar Aliyev Center.

Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center Anar Alakbarov addressed the opening ceremony, and said: “The fact that the exhibition is opened this year is symbolical, as by a decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, this year has been declared “The Year of Information and Communication Technologies. Azerbaijan’s first satellite was launched into the space, February 8 this year.”

Saying the Heydar Aliyev Center has become a venue to hold international exhibitions and conferences, Anar Alakbarov thanked President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva, and partner-organizations for the support they provided to organization of this exhibition.

Executive Director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Deborah Barnhart thanked the Heydar Aliyev Center for the organization of the exhibition. She emphasized that the exhibition featured exhibits reflecting human’s achievements in space. D.Barnhart said the US Space and Rocket Center is engaged in informing youth all over the world: “This exhibition aims to acquaint the Azerbaijani youth with achievements human has reached in space.” D.Barnhart congratulated the people of Azerbaijan on the launch of the first satellite of the country into the orbit.

Chairman of Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission Roosevelt Lewis said the objective of opening this exhibition was not only to demonstrate the past achievements in space: “It, at the same time, aims to pave the way to future achievemnts that human may reach. Therefore, by demonstrating these exhibitions all over the world, we are trying, mainly, to draw the youth’s attention to this sphere.”

Astronaut and a Hero of the Soviet Union Musa Manarov, who was born in Baku, delivered a speech at the ceremony. He thanked the organizers for holding the exhibition in the capital of Azerbaijan, and said: “Azerbaijan is my homeland. Much attention has always been paid to deep layers of the Earth in Azerbaijan. As a result, Azerbaijan became an oil country. Due to labour of Azerbaijani oil workers, and this oil, it was possible to win the Second World War. And now in Azerbaijan attention is directed to the space. I think the youth will pay more and more attention to space science as time passes, and Azerbaijan will have its own astronauts in future.”

Then acquaintance with the exhibition followed. With 3500 square meters area, the exhibition features up to one hundred exhibits. Among them are space stations, devices that have travelled to space; original piece of stone taken from the Moon’s surface, meteorites; parts of various satellites and their mock-ups; space suits and accessories etc.

A special presentation took place at the exhibition to reflect Azerbaijan’s aerospace achievements. Also information concerning Azerbaijan’s first satellite, and its mock-up were demonstrated here.