Interviewed by Prensa Latina in the middle of the “Training like an Astronaut” exercise, some of the participants, such as the Salvadoran Miguel Doradea, highlighted the composition of the study groups, made up of representatives from more than 18 nations of the continent.
OLAA is unique, he said, because it allows you to network and share knowledge with students from other countries, learn about their cultures and traditions, and also deepen space science together.
Part of World Space Week, the event welcomes 127 participants from 18 countries in the region through next Friday, where students will demonstrate and apply their knowledge in astronomy, astronautics and related sciences.
The students come from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Venezuela and Panama as host country.
Argentinian Mateo Inza, from the Agricultural Institute of San Miguel del Monte, told this news outlet that the Covid-19 lockdown in a modest little town of 30,000 allowed him to study what he was curious about. “When you look up at the sky, those are all questions,” he said.
In that sense, he trained with his physics teacher Pedro Soubelet and was one of the winners of the Argentine Astronomy Olympiad, so he’s here, like the other participants; and in his case it will be the only time, “because in my country,” he explained, “there are new young talents in every edition of OLAA that are selected for this wonderful opportunity”.
Panamanian Clarisse Herrera of the Cultural Institute said that with effort and dedication, one day the Isthmus will have a cosmonaut, another of her dreams.
We have many expectations, apart from who will get the best results from this exchange, for example the planetary observation tests, using the telescope to distinguish the stars will be the most challenging, he commented.
Also Francisco González, who is present as an observer on behalf of the Cuban Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, indicated that in the near future students from the Caribbean state will take part in this summit of space sciences, thereby bridging the gaps between them the rich north and the underdeveloped south.
Another observer, Honduran astrophysicist Norman Palma from the National Autonomous University, highlighted the organization of the event and the idea of defending the values of integration.
OLAA is organized by the National Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation, the City of Knowledge and the National Center for Space Sciences of Panama.
The head of the first institution, Eduardo Ortega, pointed out that this type of Olympiad, established in Uruguay in 2008, stimulates interest in science and stimulates curiosity, which is a key attitude of every scientist.
At the same time, Madeleine Rojas, President of OLAA, reiterated that she is proud to bring together young Latin Americans determined to take on challenges such as solving rocketry, astronomical observation, robotics and circuitry challenges.
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