The events hosted by the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) are known for being a great opportunity to meet people in the space industry, hear about recent projects, and even talk to an astronaut!
We were given such an opportunity when ESPI hosted a United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) side event at their office in Vienna. The event was hosted by the Italian Embassy and showcased presentation from Annalisa Dominoni and Benedetto Quaquaro (polytechnic University of Milan- design department), Alexandra Lupas (Prada Group Corporate Projects Director) and Luca Parmitano (ESA astronaut). Reflecting on the event, it interesting to understand the need for greater communication from engineers and various fields in the space industry with astronauts, in order to create better equipment that is both innovative and can be used for future explorations of Outer Space, as they currently have a misalignment at the practicality and design phases. This is an issue that Prada tackled by creating their space suit with new materials and tensile strengths.
Claire and I also attended the COPUOS meetings behind held in Vienna as well as another side event regarding space traffic management. At COPUOS we observed discussions from the Working Group on the Use of Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space and technical presentations about space weather, monitoring cognitive processes of cosmonauts and how space technology can be used to monitor agricultural production by delegates from the Philippines, Kazakhstan and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. These presentations not only widened our knowledge of the advancements of the global space industry but also allowed us to observe the direction States were heading and what plans they have for utilising advancements in space technology. It was also a wonderful experience exploring a building with so much culture, history and importance.
When not attending events, we continued to progress with our individual project work at ESPI, start new ones, and explore more of Austria and other European counties on our weekends. Slovakia is a great example, it has some amazing cafes and castles that are worth the hour long train ride.
Our time at ESPI has been wonderful to say the least and we are eager to see what lies ahead in our final weeks.
Written by Ellie, Intern for the Vienna Space Internship Program for 2025