MCAST lecturer participates in international space forum

MCAST Institute of Engineering and Transport (IET) senior lecturer Dr Leonardo Barilaro participated in the EuroSpaceHub Ibiza Forum 2023. This event brought together some of the leading innovators in the aerospace and aviation industry. Dr Leonardo Barilaro was invited as a guest speaker and an expert in aerospace technology and measurements for research on space debris topics.

Barilaro spoke during two panels. The first focused on technologies for spacecraft repair after space debris impacts and the importance of collaboration for innovation. He presented his space music composition in the second panel, ZER0, streamed from the International Space Station. Moreover, he was invited to perform Maleth for the opening ceremony in space last August 2022.

The forum aimed to enhance innovation and collaboration within the space and aviation innovation ecosystem by bringing together academia, industry, startups, and governments. Barilaro's participation in the EuroSpaceHub Ibiza Forum 2023 demonstrates the potential of MCAST for aerospace research in hypervelocity impacts and Space Art. His contribution to the forum is expected to inspire conversations and ignite collaborations within the space and aviation innovation ecosystem, opening significant opportunities for MCAST students.

The consortium supporting this forum has five full partners, including Vilnius Gediminas Technical University in Lithuania, International Space University in France, Complutense University of Madrid in Spain, Lunar Explorers Society in the Netherlands, and Collabwith Group in the Netherlands. These partners are supported by 12 associate partners from the space ecosystem, including one ESA business incubation centre, two venture capital networks, three higher education institutions, two photonics and aerospace research centres, one technology park, one space foundation, and the Ministry of Economics in Lithuania.

Prof. Bernard Foing, ex-ESA and CEO of EuroSpaceHub expressed interest in collaborating with MCAST. Foing is a Professor of Astrophysics at Leiden University and CEO of Lunex Euromoonmars; Principal Project Scientist for SMART-1 and president of the IAF International Committee for the Cultural Utilization of Space (ITACCUS). EuroSpaceHub Ibiza Forum 2023 allowed leading minds in the space and aviation industry to collaborate, innovate, and create an inclusive and sustainable space community.