Mexican among the winners of the 2nd edition of the Space4Youth contest

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VIENNA: The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) announced the winners of the second Space4Youth Competition, which brought together young people from around the world to provide ideas and examples on how to leverage space for Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action.


The contest supports the implementation of the UN Strategy for Youth, specifically its first priority: “Engagement, participation and advocacy to amplify the voices of young people for the promotion of a peaceful, just and sustainable world”.

Around 400 young people from 70 countries registered to participate in the competition, a considerable increase from the first edition in 2019, which had 130 participants from 40 countries. After reviewing the submitted essays, eight finalists were selected, whose essays will be published on the Space4Youth contest page on the UNOOSA website.

Tatyana Mitkova

Among the eight finalists, three winners were selected:

  • Paola Ivanova, from Mexico, 28 years old: her essay focuses on how space technology can support the conservation of biodiversity in Mexico.
  • Satrio Wicaksono, Indonesia, 31 years old: his essay focuses on harnessing satellites to tackle deforestation in Indonesia.
  • Long So, from China, 22 years old: His essay focuses on how space applications can help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong.

Thanks to the generous contribution of the  US Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna, the winners will travel to the United States in 2021, to meet with representatives of the space industry and attend the Space Camp, organized by the University of Alabama, at US Space. & Rocket Center. Winners will also have the opportunity to visit NASA, the Smithsonian Institute, and other space facilities in Washington DC.

UNOOSA Director Simonetta Di Pippo commented:

“  Through the Space4Youth competition, UNOOSA is harnessing the potential of young people around the world to gather ideas on how to take advantage of the opportunities that space provides to address what the Secretary-General The United Nations called “the ultimate challenge of our time”: climate change. I was impressed by the submissions received and I have no doubt that these young people will make their mark in the space industry for years to come. We will continue to provide a platform for young people to make their voices heard for the future not only of the space field, but of our society as a whole  ”.

SGAC Executive Director Davide Petrillo said: “ SGAC is delighted to continue the collaboration with UNOOSA, it is another excellent initiative that enables the contributions of young people as agents of change in the space sector. For the second edition of the Space4Youth competition, we have received an impressive number of applications, showing how the next generation wants to make a concrete contribution to addressing the challenges of climate change through space. We are proud to see the commitment of so many students and young professionals, we believe this is an important step forward in expressing the perspective of the next generation in the space sector around the world  . “

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More information about the Contest is available at:  https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/space4youth/competition/2020/index.html

Watch here the webinar and listen to UNOOSA, SGAC and U.S. Permanent Mission representatives, but most of all to the presentations of the winners! 

A huge thanks to all participants for the inspirational essays!

Source: haciaelespacio.aem.gob.mx

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