By Hannah Ashford
The distinguished Karman Fellows will convene in Sofia to accelerate regional deep-tech development through space education
Sofia and Berlin, 11 July 2024 — The Karman Project, an internationally recognized non-profit foundation gathering impact-driven leaders from across the global space sector, has selected EnduroSat to host its flagship event, ‘Karman Week’, in Bulgaria. Selected from a competitive pool of nine host applicants from across the globe, EnduroSat, the European satellite and space service provider, will bring this year’s 15 Karman Fellows to Sofia and the region of the Rodopi Mountains for a week focusing on space education. The visiting Fellows represent 13 nationalities and are each leading significant space programs, companies and agencies across the globe. The event is set to be a significant engagement for the region, further cementing Bulgaria's role as a pivotal hub for technological advancement and innovation in Eastern Europe.
Welcoming the world-class conversations of the Fellowship Week is a milestone in EnduroSat’s strategy to develop cutting-edge space science and education in the Balkans. EnduroSat has cultivated a native space ecosystem for over a decade, starting with the Space Challenges Program designed to accelerate practical space education. The Company also designed and built three university space labs to host the new practice-driven Master’s Program in Space Engineering and Technology. The goal is to train the next generation of space tech talents, leveraging international best practices for the benefit of the region. With the Karman Project’s proven track-record of bringing together decision-makers for dialogue and focused action, the partners hope to accelerate these efforts together.
“As a space-for-impact foundation, The Karman Project firmly believes that relationships must be cultivated and knowledge must be shared across borders, and we look forward to contributing to EnduroSat’s remarkable capacity building efforts in the region,” said Hannah Ashford, Managing Director of The Karman Project. “We know from the success of our previous Karman Week delegations in the United Arab Emirates, France and the Maldives that when we bring together the right minds in the right environment, we can achieve years of progress in just one week."
“EnduroSat has been founded with the goal to make space more accessible and to help the next gen space entrepreneurs emerge and thrive. The global space sector is central to our social and economic development, and a new playground for future innovators. We are proud to bring the Karman Week’s conversations to Bulgaria to help turn the space sector into a priority for the country and for the Balkans,” said Raycho Raychev, Founder and CEO of EnduroSat.
The Karman Project and EnduroSat share the unshakable belief that space can make a positive impact and change lives for the better. In-keeping with this conviction, the partners will host a conversation to create an education blueprint aiming to accelerate the development of local talent and deep-tech opportunities in emerging space countries.
For further information on The Karman Project's Fellowship Week in the Maldives and updates on the respective partnerships, please visit www.karmanproject.org or contact Hannah Ashford at the details below.
About EnduroSat
EnduroSat engineers, builds and operates exceptional satellites. The company streamlines space missions in LEO and beyond and takes care of every step from mission design to launch and operations. EnduroSat serves 300+ customers globally and employs 200+ space professionals in 6 locations across the planet.
Contact:
Jean Lévy
jean.levy@endurosat.com
https://www.endurosat.com
About The Karman Project
The Karman Project is a globally recognised non-profit and independent foundation promoting peace and security in space through international cooperation. The foundation’s unique convening power enables it to bring together public and private sector decision-makers to build common understandings and impactful projects that serve sustainability, education, science, security and capacity building efforts. To date, The Karman Project’s highly curated community of entrepreneurs, astronauts, space executives, researchers, and artists from 65 nations have initiated projects servicing the immediate needs of 5M+ people worldwide. The foundation's vision is to enable the most consequential projects and cooperative missions to serve the future of space and humanity.
Contact:
Hannah Ashford
hannah@karmanproject.org
https://www.karmanproject.org
Annexure: Karman Fellows 2024
- Abeer S. Al-Saud, UNESCO Fellow & Co-Founder, The Sustainable Development Association (Talga) (Saudi Arabia)
- Tuva Atasever, Astronaut, Turkish Space Agency (Türkiye)
- Salah Eddine Bentata, Founder & Managing Director, Si Space Consulting (Algeria)
- Bianca Cefalo, CEO & Co-founder, Space DOTS Inc. (Italy, United Kingdom)
- Tao Chen, Director of Valve Engineering Department, LandSpace Technology Co. Ltd. (China)
- Richelle Ellis, Artist, Founder, Supercollider & Co-founder, Beyond Earth (USA)
- Olayinka Fagbemiro, Chief Scientific Officer, Nigerian Space Agency (Nigeria)
- Aisha Jagirani, Director General - External Relations and Legal Affairs, Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (Pakistan)
- Melody Korman, Executive Director, Israel Space Forum & Mission Manager, Rakia Mission (Israel)
- Alena Kuzmenko, Founder & President, Unity Charity Foundation (Russia)
- Kavya K. Manyapu, Flight Operations Directorate Exploration Spacesuits Insight Lead, NASA & Adjunct Professor, University of North Dakota (USA, India)
- Will Pomerantz, Head of Space Ventures, AeroVironment & Co-founder, Brooke Owens and Patti Grace Smith Fellowships (USA)
- Lucie Poulet, Postdoctoral Researcher & Marie Curie Fellow, Université Clermont Auvergne (France)
- Manny Shar, Chief Strategy Officer, OrbitFab (UK, Pakistan)
- Jake Thompson, Head of Innovation & Chief Engineer Novel Nuclear, Rolls-Royce (UK)
