The Principality of Monaco, renowned for its commitment to sustainability under the leadership of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II, showcased its growing role in space exploration with several events featuring renowned leaders in the space industry as part of the international EARTH to SPACE: Arts Breaking the Sky festival at the Kennedy Center, held from March 28 to April 20.
The festival is part of an effort to inspire collective action to protect the planet and use the arts to stimulate fresh thinking about our environmental challenges, which aligns with the mission of Prince Albert II. It also spotlighted Monaco's increasingly important role in space as a source of cutting-edge technology and scientific expertise.
One of its main events was a high-level panel discussion, "Monaco's Leap to the Stars: Integrating High-Tech Innovations, Astronaut Perspectives, and Lunar Exploration," held on March 29 and moderated by former NASA Associate Administrator and retired astronaut Robert "Bob" Cabana. The discussion featured luminaries from the world of space, including Jaret Matthews, Founder and CEO of Astrolab, Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science and Research at the Smithsonian Institution and former NASA Chief Scientist, Bill Nelson, former U.S. Senator, astronaut and most recent NASA Administrator, as well as Commander Michael Lopez-Alegria, the chief astronaut at Axiom Space. A recording of this discussion is available at the Embassy's YouTube channel (link here), and various photos from Monaco's events at the festival can be accessed here.
"Monaco's enduring commitment to scientific discovery, particularly in ocean preservation, has naturally extended to the cosmos," said Maguy Maccario-Doyle, Monaco's Ambassador to the United States. "As we've grown our space industry, we see tremendous opportunities for this technology to help us better understand and protect our natural world, ensuring that the future of exploration benefits not just humanity, but also the planet we call home."
In addition, Monaco participated in several other notable events showcasing the Principality's role in space, including:
- Displaying a prototype of the FLEX lunar rover, developed by U.S. firm, Astrolab, with state-of-the-art technology from Monaco's Venturi, recognized for its expertise in high-performance batteries and wheels.
- A group of schoolchildren from the aeronautics class at Monaco's renowned Institution Saint François d'Assise Nicolas Barré joined NASA's World Weather Watchers Symposium on March 31.
"As we explore beyond Earth, it is imperative that we use the technologies and knowledge gained in space to create a better world at home," said Ellen Stofan. "Monaco's leadership and dedication in this area is inspiring, and we are proud to support their efforts to advance space exploration."
"The FLEX lunar rover shows the tremendous value of what Monaco brings to the table in space exploration," said Jaret Matthews. "Venturi has always been a leader in performance batteries and wheels, and it was a natural fit for Astrolab to partner with them to develop a best-in-class lunar rover. In this case, Monaco is truly supercharging space exploration."
The Monaco Office of Space Affairs (established in 2021 by HSH Prince Albert), as a founding member of the Space4Ocean Alliance, is now leveraging space technology to protect our ocean. This initiative launched with CNES, the Norwegian Space Agency, UNOOSA and UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission will be formally introduced at the United Nations Ocean Conference to be held in Nice, France on June 9 13, 2025.
For more information, visit www.MonacoEventsUSA.com
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Contacts:
Media Contacts:
Matt Pressberg matt@pressbergmedia.com (310) 367-8958
Elle Berdy eberdy@monacodc.org (917) 689 7424
