Space engineer Ján Baláž. (source: Archive of Ján Baláž)
"We must admit that we have lagged far behind other European countries that are already well established in the space sector," says space engineer Ján Baláž from the Institute of Experimental Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) in Košice.
Ján Baláž was recently elected a member of the International Academy of Astronautics. In an interview with the Slovak Spectator, he talks about the election, his past work on space missions, Slovakia's associate membership of the European Space Agency, and more.
What does being elected an IAA member mean to you personally?
I really appreciate it, it’s one of the highest awards of merit in space science and astronautics. The academy was founded in 1960 by Theodore von Kármán, a great astronautics pioneer with the goal of bringing together leading experts in the field, exploring and discussing the issues of space research and technology. The Academy is recognized by the United Nations, and its fundamental principles include broad internationalism and the peaceful use of outer space.
Several well-known personalities were members of the IAA, for example the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, rocket technology pioneer Wernher von Braun, and the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong. Among the current members is the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova, the second man on the moon, Buzz Aldrin, and business magnate Elon Musk.
You have worked on several important space missions. What actually contributed to your being elected?
The regular members of the Academy elected me as a corresponding member back in July 2019. An important part, I think, was played by my professional CV. I participated in the preparation of seventeen space missions, including very prestigious ones, such as the Rosetta mission, which successfully landed on a comet’s surface for the first time in history. I worked on a crucial communication system without which the landing would not have been at all possible.
