An exceptional meeting with Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, a project astronaut of the European Space Agency (ESA), is now behind us. The event, held on Thursday, 11 December this year at the Space Technology Park, attracted crowds of students from the Lubusz region as well as pupils.
The visit of the second Pole in outer space, Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, was divided into two parts: an academic one and an educational one. The first began with the screening of a film about the IGNIS mission, the astronaut’s official entrance into the auditorium, and the welcoming of guests by Prof. Wojciech Strzyżewski, PhD, DSc, Rector of the University of Zielona Góra.
– Our guest today is not only an astronaut, but also a scientist. He chose a demanding academic career, enriched by dreams and the exploration of space. And here I am speaking especially to students – you too should find your own place, a field in which you want to be known and which truly interests you. It is also hard to imagine a better place to meet an astronaut than the Space Technology Park. I hope today’s event will contribute to making this a place where things are created for the needs of outer space – said Prof. Wojciech Strzyżewski, Rector of the University of Zielona Góra.
The meeting in Zielona Góra was the fourteenth stop on the map of the nationwide series under the slogan “IGNIS Mission: Poland Reaches for the Stars.” The uniqueness of this prestigious project was highlighted, among others, by Prof. Maria Mrówczyńska, PhD, DSc, Eng., Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
– I encourage you to draw inspiration from this meeting. To ask questions, to talk, and to believe that through education one can enter the wider world and conquer outer space. The way Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski shares his knowledge is also exceptional. He does so with remarkable ease and openness – emphasized Prof. Maria Mrówczyńska.
Immediately after the official welcome, the much-anticipated lecture by Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski began. The astronaut spoke about his path to ESA, his experiences related to the IGNIS mission, and experiments conducted under microgravity conditions. Students from the Lubusz region also learned details of the experiments carried out during the IGNIS mission. Konrad Opaliński from the AstroMentalHealth team (Institute of Psychology, UZ) and Karol Bresler-Przybył from SigmaLabs shared insights into their research and observations.
Then Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski faced questions from the audience during a Q&A session. Students asked, among other things, about emotions, the vision of space versus real conditions, mental techniques for coping with stress and fear, the biggest technical surprises, and the potential benefits for humanity of a future mission. The subsequent parts of the meeting in Zielona Góra included a panel discussion, a group photo, and an autograph-signing session.
The visit of Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski to the spaces of student scientific clubs also undoubtedly provided many positive emotions and valuable insights. Representatives of the Student Amateur Radio Club SP3PGX, the Polar Psychology Club ICE, the Academic Motor Association, the LotUZ Aviation Club, the Astronomy and Physics Students’ Club of UZ, and the Student Club BuzzVerse had the opportunity to talk with the astronaut and present their technologies.
The second part of the event took an educational form and was aimed at pupils from primary and secondary schools across the region. Children and young people participated not only in a meeting with Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, but also in creative workshops and activities. The goal of the event was to popularize knowledge about space and modern technologies, which is why student club zones were also present here. Younger participants were supported by representatives of the BiomedUZ Club, the Speech Therapy Scientific Club “Mowa bez wad,” Project UZ Club, the Biotechnology Students’ Club of UZ, the Experimental Architecture Club KONSTRUKTURA, the La Luce Club, the Fortezza Club, the Tekturka Club, and the Student Clinical Psycho-Oncology Club “Żonkil.” The educational part concluded with a group photo with the astronaut and an autograph-signing session.
During Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski’s Thursday visit to the University of Zielona Góra, there was also a short press briefing for the media. The astronaut emphasized that this was already his second visit to the University of Zielona Góra. He also answered the most inquisitive questions from local journalists – including what space smells like.
– Directly open outer space is a vacuum. Where there is no atmospheric air, there are very few particles in an enormous volume. Space therefore has no smell. However, for me it is associated with what I felt after docking and passing through the airlock. I sensed a sharp, metallic smell, and that will forever be the smell of space for me – revealed Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski.
The Zielona Góra edition of the meeting from the series “IGNIS Mission: Poland Reaches for the Stars” showed how great young people’s interest in space exploration is. The event was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Development and Technology, the Polish Space Agency, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the University of Zielona Góra.
We also encourage you to watch the broadcast and materials prepared by UZ Academic Media from Dr. Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski’s visit to the University of Zielona Góra.
