Politehnica Bucharest launches a campaign for a new national space program

The National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest announced during the European SpaceFEST Summit the launch of a national campaign to collect signatures for the start of an integrated space program. The objective: to train the next Romanian astronaut and position the country at the forefront of European aerospace innovation. The event, hosted at the Palace of Parliament, brought together decision-makers, industry and research leaders, representatives of academia and international space agencies. The campaign initiated by Politehnica Bucharest aims to mobilize not only the university community, but the entire society, in a collective effort to support the development of a national space program with educational, scientific and strategic stakes.

"We have exceptional students, top researchers and huge potential. It is time to dream about the cosmos again and transform this dream into a national strategy," said Mihnea Costoiu, the University's rector, in the official announcement.

• Why a space program now?

Although Romania already participates in international projects through collaborations with the European Space Agency (ESA) and other entities, it does not have a unified national program, with its own missions and training of dedicated specialists. In contrast, other countries in the region, such as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic or Austria, have launched national space programs in recent years and have included astronauts, satellites and their own infrastructure in their plans. Hungary, for example, is preparing to launch the second Hungarian astronaut, and Poland is developing a complex strategy in the field of satellites. In this context, Romania's initiative comes as a strategic necessity to align with European and global trends in the space field.

• International support and expertise at the highest level

The SpaceFEST Summit, organized in partnership with the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the US Embassy in Romania and the Government of Romania, brought together prominent names in the aerospace field. In one of the most appreciated moments of the event, astronauts Daniel Michio TANI (NASA) and So-yeon YI (the first South Korean astronaut) discussed leadership, perseverance and the impact of space missions on education and society.

• Educational and industrial ecosystem: the key to success

The thematic panels at the summit emphasized the essential role of collaborations between universities and industry in building a sustainable national space infrastructure. Participants highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary training of future specialists in aerospace engineering, robotics, artificial intelligence and space medicine.

The initiative launched by Politehnica Bucharest is more than a simple awareness campaign: it is a declaration of intent for Romania's future in the aerospace field. Through the active involvement of citizens, institutions and decision-makers, this initiative could become the cornerstone for a national space program that trains not only astronauts, but also a generation prepared to innovate and build in outer space.