On the occasion of the National Space Day, the Italian Embassy in Zagreb, together with the Italian Cultural Institute in Zagreb and the Consulate General in Rijeka, organised a virtual meeting with Luca Parmitano, a major Italian astronaut holding the European Space Agency record for longest stay in orbit (366 days).
The connection was made with Zagreb and Rijeka, hosted respectively at the Technical Museum and the Astronomical Centre of Rijeka, in the presence of students from Italian and Croatian secondary and high schools, astronomy and astrophysics experts and specialist journalists.
Parmitano, the first Italian astronaut to lead the International Space Station, illustrated with exclusive and archive images the peculiarity and exceptionality of life in space, reconstructing the stages of recent space explorations and illustrating Italian excellence in the sector.
Following his presentation, the astronaut answered the many questions posed to him by the public both in Zagreb and Rijeka, especially by the schoolchildren present.
Shortly before the event, Ambassador Sacco presented the meaning and programme of the National Space Day in Croatia on the country’s main current affairs television programme, “Dobro Jutro Hrvatska”.