The main educational marathon of the Space Week was held in Moscow

On April 7, more than 1,500 students of specialized colleges and universities, teachers and experts joined the educational marathon "Space with Knowledge" in Moscow. It took place at the National Space Center named after the world's first female cosmonaut, V.V. Tereshkova. The marathon, organized by the Roscosmos State Corporation and the Znanie Society, has become one of the main educational events of Space Week in Russia.

The marathon program showed the youth the prospects for the development of the space industry and its role in the technological future of the country. The students also got acquainted with the developments that came from cosmonautics into everyday life, learned about the influence of space on culture and art. The start of the marathon was given by Dmitry Bakanov, General Director of the Roscosmos State Corporation, and Maxim Dreval, General Director of the Russian Society Znanie.

Space is not just an advanced high—tech field of activity, it is part of the national Russian culture. Our compatriot Yuri Gagarin, his joint work with Sergei Korolev and other colleagues have forever cemented Russia's title as a pioneer in space exploration. And the open dialogue of Maria Zakharova, Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, was dedicated to the personality of Yuri Gagarin, who conquered the whole planet with his feat and friendly smile.

A technology entrepreneur and a manager spoke about the partnership between business and the state in modern cosmonautics. Alexey Shelobkov, founder and head of the hardware development company YADRO and the aerospace company BUREAU 1440, Managing Partner, CEO of X Holding, stressed that Roscosmos is actively attracting commercial enterprises to space activities and developing public-private partnerships, since today it is impossible to develop astronautics without this.

Oleg Kononenko, head of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, commander of the Cosmonaut squadron, Hero of the Russian Federation, pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation, and Konstantin Khabensky, artistic director of the Chekhov Moscow Art Theater, People's Artist of Russia, Laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation, discussed the connection between space and art with the children. We talked about the importance of books and films dedicated to space exploration. Konstantin Khabensky noted that during the filming of the film "The Time of the First" he experienced many emotional and physical trials, and was able to better understand the astronauts. He also said that theater workers show performances at the Baikonur and Vostochny cosmodromes, and send video versions of productions to the astronauts on the ISS.

The marathon culminated in a live broadcast from the International Space Station. Hero of the Russian Federation, pilot-cosmonaut of the Russian Federation Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, Hero of the Russian Federation, pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation Andrey Fedyaev and test cosmonaut Sergey Mikaev talked with the youth in real time. Sergey Krikalev, Deputy Director General of the Roscosmos State Corporation for Manned Programs, was the moderator of the open dialogue. The cosmonauts answered questions about working on the ISS, spacewalks, and the impact of flights on their professional careers. Working in space becomes a dream come true for them and provides a unique experience. According to the astronauts, the flight affects the worldview and helps to see that our planet is a huge house where everything is interconnected and there are no borders. And they apply the practical experience they have gained on Earth in developing equipment and solving other tasks of Roscosmos. After the flights, all cosmonauts are also engaged in popularizing cosmonautics and attracting new generations to this field.

A separate topic was the preparation for work on the ISS. It was revealed by the leading neurologist of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, crew doctor Alexander Vasin, test cosmonaut Alexey Zubritsky and a leading specialist in cosmonaut training, ISS crew instructor, chief operator of the MCC Ksenia Kakushina. Experts noted that the preparation takes a long time — ten years or more. Fundamental knowledge, good physical fitness, and psychological stability are important for future astronauts.

The marathon festival program took place in the small hall of the National Space Center: master classes in space technology, astrophotography, piloting, content creation, as well as exhibitions, presentations of books and films about space. Especially for the marathon as part of the Knowledge campaign.The library, together with its partner, the AST publishing house, collected and presented about 600 books on space and related topics.

The Space with Knowledge marathon has become the main educational event of Space Week, which will be held in Russia from April 6 to 12 in honor of the 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight. The initiative is being implemented on the basis of the decree of the President of Russia on the annual Space Week. The organizer of the event is the State Corporation Roscosmos.

Along with the marathon, a Day of Unified Action was held on April 7. A lecture by the Znanie Society "108 Minutes that changed the world" was given in all regions of the country based on materials provided in the Library of Ready-made Lectures. Also, within the framework of Space Week, a thematic campaign of the Znanie Society was launched on April 6. The educational organization's lecturers — popularizers of science, space industry specialists and cosmonauts — communicate with schoolchildren, students, working youth, parents and representatives of the older generation.