Institute of Experimental Physics at Dubai EXPO 2020

Institute of Experimental Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences will be a part of the thematic “Space week” during the world fair EXPO 2020 in Dubai. In the rotating exposition of the Slovak pavilion, digital exhibit called ‘SPACE LAB SLOVAKIA’ will be presented. Space topics will dominate the EXPO 2020, which will be taking place between October 17 and October 23, 2021.

“The main message we want to communicate in Dubai is that in Slovakia we have a workplace that participates in space projects of world importance,” said astrophysicist Šimon Mackovjak, who designed and will present the exhibition in Dubai.

The exhibition itself consists of three parts. The first part conveys to visitors that the Institute of Experimental Physics SAS has been a reliable partner of space missions for more than 50 years. From the development of the first proprietary spacecraft SK-1, which was launched into space in 1977 aboard the Interkozmos-17 mission, through participation in the Czech-Slovak satellite program MAGION to the contributions to the groundbreaking ESA missions Rosseta, BepiColombo and JUICE.

“Second part of the exhibition will present that our goal is to answer the most important open questions of current space research. What is the source of the high energy particles in the universe? How do cosmic ray particles move in and out of the heliosphere and close to Earth? Is airglow the interface between space and Earth? And what exactly causes its variability? By pointing out these topics, we want to emphasize that there are still a number of unprecedented phenomena that need to be detected and explained, ”added the astrophysicist.

The third part of the exhibition presents the “digital transformation” of the research itself. Scientists from the Institute of Experimental Physics SAS are aware that current IT technologies can make analysis of space data more efficient. Involvement of artificial intelligence thus becomes a necessity, as it not only automates data processing, but can also lead to new discoveries that have not yet been possible to obtain.

In addition to the digital exhibit, Institute of Experimental Physics SAS will also be represented during the scientific program prepared by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic. Šimon Mackovjak will present a talk entitled ‘Towards autonomous space safety’, which builds on previous educational activities (GlobalLogic Webinar, SPACE :: LAB Summer School).

The digital exhibition of IEP SAS was created in cooperation with the design team of GlobalLogic Slovakia. Emphasis was given to visually match the exhibition with the design of the Slovak pavilion. Therefore, a modern, minimalist style was chosen with a focus on delivering a message.

During the EXPO, exhibitors consist mostly of the private companies presenting their products, And although Slovak Academy of Sciences focuses primarily on basic research, the acquired expertise and know-how may be of interest to potential future partners. During the space week, representatives of the Astronomical Institute SAS, Institute of Materials and Machine Mechanics SAS and the Institute of Measurement Science SAS will also present themselves at the fair. Visitors will be able to see that Slovakia is not a newcomer to the topic of “Space” and has a potential for further growth.

Text and photo: Katarína Gáliková, Šimon Mackovjak

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