On the last day of its Genova stop, the European Space Expo welcomed its 500,000th visitor.
The popular European Space Expo (ESE) and its now iconic dome landed on Genova’s Piazzale Mandraccio from the 24 October to 2 November. As the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, the city has a special relationship to navigation – and the perfect host for not only the 22nd edition of the expo, but to the ESE’s 500,000th visitor.
To recognize this achievement, the visitor received a commemorative certificate, presented by the famous Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano, who also paid the expo a visit.
The European Space Expo is an initiative of the European Commission aimed at illustrating the services and applications derived from such European space programs as Galileo and EGNOS in a fun, interactive and accessible way. As part of Genova’s annual Science Festival (festival della scienza), many school children of all ages visited the ESE to gain a hands-on understanding of how space technology benefits them on a day-to-day basis. In addition to its interactive displays, the expo also featured a kid’s corner where students and children could take part in a fun space-themed quiz.
The exhibition, whose futuristic dome has been traveling around Europe for several years, is open and free to the public. The show continues in 2015, where it is scheduled to visit nine more cities, giving even more European citizens the opportunity to learn how EU investment in space benefits their lives.
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