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UH Space Architecture Graduate Student Selected to Participate in Russian Space Technology Internship Program

By
David Ladewig, MS-SpaceArch Student
Graduate student, David Ladewig, speaking at the Mission Control Centre in Moscow, Russia, to Russian cosmonauts.
Russian cosmonauts Andrei Borisenko, Alexandre Samokutâev, and Sergei Volkov aboard the International Space Station.

Moscow, Russia—
Sixty students representing 13 countries worldwide were competitively selected to participate in the Space Development Theory and Practice 2011 Internship held at Bauman Moscow State Technical University. The focus of the two week program was to participate in an international collaboration of engineering and science students to design, manufacture and operate space science projects. The program visited some of the major space research facilities including the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre and Mission Control Centre. The participants were tasked to design a robotic rover for a surface mission on Mercury. US participants were sponsored by the Rice University Baker Institute.

“My favorite part of the trip was how the program was scheduled. We had plenty of time to see the major sites of Moscow while simultaneously having interesting lectures and meeting with important people from Russia’s top space companies. Having our translator and other Russian students close by at all times made each moment a more personable experience for me. I was able to experience Russia as if I were a citizen not just a tourist. I now have a group of international friends that I will definitely stay in contact with throughout my career.” David Ladewig