Romania must return to space research, Rector of the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest Mihnea Costoiu said on Thursday at the opening ceremony of the fourth edition of SpaceFEST, the largest festival dedicated to space exploration in Central and Eastern Europe.

'Space is no longer just a distant destination, but a vital area that influences our daily lives, from communications and navigation to environmental monitoring and security. (...) Politehnica, especially through the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, its research institutes and its people, is on the front line of this technological revolution and of this area. (...) Last year, at the same event, Politehnica launched the idea of our country returning to the select group of nations that strategically invest in space research. (...) We believed then and we sincerely still believe that Romania must return to space research, including through people, through human models. We launched this message last year and I repeat it today. We have made countless approaches to the national authorities and we believe that the Romanian astronaut should not remain, with all due respect and honour we hold for him, only Professor and Ambassador Dumitru Prunariu,' the rector said.

According to him, Politehnica Bucharest will become involved in this project, for which the governmental response so far has unfortunately been 'modest.'

'We must prepare Romania for this new stage and we want Politehnica to be part of this ecosystem. More than that, we want it to be the institution that launches this programme, and this is a commitment we are making once again because, unfortunately, I say this with regret and no pleasure, the governmental response has been, to put it elegantly, modest. (...) The synergy we have seen across the country, from our university partners, colleagues from research institutes and very many young people this year, has given us confidence that this programme, which we discussed last year and prepared this year, can be launched in the coming year,' Costoiu pointed out.

He added that 'advanced' discussions had already taken place regarding the 'Romanian Astronaut' project with American, institutional and private partners. 'Some of them are with us again this year, others will join next year and throughout the coming year,' the rector explained.

People who have gone beyond the known limits of humanity, explorers who 'made history,' will attend SpaceFEST, Mihnea Costoiu underlined. 'These days, we will be joined by people who have been part of this history of the world,' he said.

Politehnica University of Bucharest, through the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, in partnership with the Romanian Space Agency and the European Space Agency, is organising the fourth edition of SpaceFEST over three days starting Thursday.

According to a press release sent to AGERPRES, this year's edition, hosted as usual on the Politehnica campus, marks a special moment, as for the first time the public in Romania will have the opportunity to meet Charles Duke, one of the only 12 people who have walked on the Moon.

A member of the Apollo 16 mission, he remains to this day the youngest astronaut to have reached the lunar surface.

Joining him in Bucharest will also be Nicole Stott, a NASA astronaut with over 100 days spent in space. Recognised not only for her technical contributions but also for her artistic side, she is the first person to have created a watercolour painting in space, proof that cosmic exploration goes beyond the boundaries of science and reaches into the realm of human inspiration, the press release reads.

These days, the university campus will be transformed into a hub of innovation and discovery, bringing together specialists, researchers, students and the general public in a dialogue about the future of space exploration.

The programme includes exhibitions of aerospace technology and cutting-edge innovations, flight simulators and interactive experiences, robotics demonstrations and rocket launches, educational and creative activities for children and young people, as well as VR and AR experiences dedicated to exploring the cosmos.

This year's edition also features the European SpaceFEST Summit, a platform for dialogue dedicated to the aerospace industry in Romania and Europe. The event will highlight essential topics such as research, innovation and regulation in the area, the quoted source added. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Roberto Stan; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)