The 'Living in space' programme brought more than a hundred students and university lecturers to the Italian Embassy in Delhi, in addition to the general managers of India's two main industrial associations in the sector, testifying to the all-round collaboration in aerospace between the two countries. The event, as emphasised in his introduction by the Embassy's scientific officer, Professor Sergio Ledda, who was the main 'author', coincided with National Space Day.
After a presentation by the Distretto Aero Spaziale della Sardegna (DASS), which has applied to host the Einstein Telescope, lecturers from Sardinian universities presented a wide range of contributions. Antonella Pantaleo illustrated the potential of cultivating spirulina, the microalga considered the new 'green gold' for its rich nutritional value and ability to reduce carbon dioxide generated in confined spaces, in the spacecraft. Plinio Innocenti introduced the study of advanced self-sterilising materials capable of counteracting contamination in spacecraft, Andrada Pica summarised the latest research results on the body's responses to different gravity conditions.
Shashi Kunar, head of the Delhi branch of the Icgeb in Trieste, made a further contribution on the possibility of cultivating microalgae in a near-zero gravity atmosphere.
Curiosity for the final chapter, the tasting of 'space food', the innovative proposal of EAT Freedom, the start-up founded by Sara Rocci Denis, cooked live by chef Stefano Polato. Three patented recipes for astronauts were ready in just a few minutes, balancing nutritional components, variety and taste: the Indian millet-based cous-cous was highly appreciated.
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