Scientists of Institute of Space Research (ISR) of Ukrainian National Academy of Science (UNAS) and National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU) together with representatives of scientific schools and NTUU "Igor Sikorsky KPI" administration discussed at the meeting that took place in the university, on 13th December, the issue of cooperation development and creation of common Scientific and Educational Center of Space Research and Technologies.
Pro-rector of the university for scientific work, academician of NAS of Ukraine Mykhailo Ilchenko, director of ISR, correspondent member of Small Academy of Astronautics, Oleg Fedorov, dean of Faculty of Aerospace Systems of Igor Sikorsky KPI, Oleksandr Zbrutskyi, director of Mechanical Engineering Institute of Igor Sikorsky KPI, correspondent member of NAS of Ukraine Mykola Bobyr, director of the World Data Center for Geoinformatics and Sustainable Development (WDC-Ukraine) Kostiantyn Yefimov, chief designer of university nano-satellites PolyTAN, s.r.f. Borys Rassamahin, head of the department of ISR, Georgii Lizunov, head of Department of Applied Hydro-Aeromechanics and Mechatronics of MMI, Oleksandr Lugovskyi and others took part in discussion of cooperation lines and projects being be the most effective and favorable for the cooperation itself.
One of the main prerequisites for new common structure formation is that issues of space research development became among the top priorities for our country. The fact that the fundamental problems of aerospace technologies development were included into the list of priority subject lines of scientific research and developments for the period up to 2020 defined by Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine № 556 dated August 23, 2016 signifies above mentioned.
However, this is only the formal grounds that will have to become the basis for development of cooperation between education, science and the field. The main reasoning is the change of aerospace research development paradigm itself. "Space – this isn't the goal, this is the instrument", - summed up Mykhailo Ilchenko speaking about the main driving force of modern-day scientific and research work in the field of aerospace. That is, now aerospace ships launches have not demonstrative goal but well- defined tasks, such as remote Earth sensing with further application of received data for agriculture, ecological survey, geological research and so on. Owing to that, organization work plans involved into space projects realization are being elaborated now. In particular, “Nationwide space program for the period 2018-2022” that particular government agencies and research organizations work over. Thus, a new shared field research and education structure has to become a platform for innovative approaches implementation into development of national space field and involvement of young people into space research and developments. And what’s the main, the economy needs projects to put new ideas into action.
Participants considered a series of such projects that are realized in ISR and Igor Sikorsky KPI and defined lines that new structure has to follow. These are construction of devices, systems and components of soft hardware for small space vehicles and ground infrastructure for research of near-Earth space and space Earth observations; development and implementation of new information technologies for processing and distribution of space information from satellites observations and certainly involvement of students and postgraduates that are gaining education for the work in fields of aerospace research and technologies into particular space projects.
In the end, representatives of ISR and Igor Sikorsky KPI agreed to develop particular offers and provisional plan of organizational measures to create shared Research and Education Center and meet once again to create work team and set for it top-priority tasks.