Korea's first astronaut, PhD Lee So-yeon, will attend a panel discussion under the title of the Future of Humanity in Space, to be held in celebration of the 50th year of humanity's first space flight. The discussion will be hosted by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs on June 2, 2011, in Vienna, Austria.
The Future of Humanity in Space is held to mark the 50th year of the first human space flight by the Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin on April 12, 1961, and also of the establishment of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) on November 27 in the same year. With about 300 participants taking part, including students and journalists, astronauts from various countries will exchange thoughts about space travel and directly take questions from the audience.
The 54th UNCOPUOS General Assembly to mark the 50th year of humanity's first space flight and UNCOPUOS establishment is currently underway in Vienna (June 1-10). Joining the Assembly also is the Korean delegation, consisting of officials from the Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and Korea Aerospace Research Institute under the leadership of Cho Hyun, Ambassador to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the International Organization in Vienna. The Korean government's delegation is taking part in the discussion on the development of space by the international community, and promoting Korea's dedicated effort to contribute to transparent and peaceful space activity by fully complying with all international standards related to space.
