Tomasz Rożek: it is worth taking advantage of the interest surrounding the Polish astronaut

On June 8, the second Polish astronaut in history will fly to the International Space Station. According to science popularizer Tomasz Rożek, it is worth using the interest in Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, among other things, to inspire young people with science.

"Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski is only the second Polish astronaut, the previous one – Mirosław Hermaszewski – flew almost 50 years ago. We do not have to build interest in him, it happens automatically. However, it is important to use this attention, showing him as an inspiration for young people, but also a symbol that unites us, Poles, beyond various divisions," Dr. Tomasz Rożek, president of the Science. I Like It Foundation, told PAP.

When asked if astronauts are heroes today, he replied that they can be, although it depends on the direction of the message. "Who becomes a hero today? Not a person - for example a scientist or an artist - who has objectively great achievements. They do not become heroes automatically. This only happens when we properly tell the story of their achievements, the path they had to take, the difficulties they had to overcome to reach this place and moment. This is key," he emphasized.

When asked if this was what was happening in the case of Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, he suggested that much more could have been – and still could have been done.

"If we build Sławosz's image in isolation from his achievements, we will create an image of a celebrity who will be known for being famous. But it's all about showing the science he practices, presenting the technology behind his achievements," emphasized Tomasz Rożek.

He added that science – any science, including Polish science – needs representatives of flesh and blood, role models of people who do important things and push the boundaries of knowledge.

"They are like lighthouses, showing sailors a safe place and a path they can follow. We live in a world that is very overloaded, where the amount of information is incomparably greater than it has ever been in the past. Young people in particular can simply get lost in this excess, in this thicket of information. That is why such "lighthouses" are so necessary, shining above it all, which make it easier, for example, to make professional or educational decisions," said the popularizer.

He noted that Uznański-Wiśniewski's flight is also a very important point of change for the development of the Polish space industry. "The Polish space sector is developing very dynamically. It may even be the fastest growing branch of Polish industry at the moment," assessed Rożek.

At the same time, he noted that "there is another problem around the corner, because we are accelerating very quickly. Will we have the staff to maintain this pace of development? It is already visible today that the staff bench is getting shorter and shorter. Young people often do not want to study in a given field because they do not know that it is possible, because we have not told them the story and we have not shown them that this field is future-oriented and that it can be a source of a satisfying professional life. Regardless of our narrative, Sławosz will fly anyway. But the question is whether we will use all the opportunities that his flight gives us".

The launch of the Ax-4 space mission with Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski is scheduled for June 8. The crew will spend two weeks on the International Space Station, performing experiments prepared by Polish scientists. (PAP)

Science in Poland

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