They are trying to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos: The Institute for Space Research in the south of Graz looked back on their successful “anniversary mission” on Tuesday.
Flying to Mars, measuring wind noise, examining comet dust: these are the tasks of the Graz Institute for Space Research (IWF). On the 50th anniversary, researchers commemorated more than 40 missions that used space equipment they developed. Overarching goal: discover why we exist here on Earth.
Location in the south of Graz was important
About 100 employees from 20 countries are currently involved in 24 missions and work together with the American space agency NASA or its European counterpart ESA. But let’s start at the beginning: it all started in 1971. “The annual budget at that time was 970,000 schillings,” recalls Anton Zeilinger, (still) president of the Academy of Sciences, to which the IMF belongs. Today that is 4.3 million euros.
Important milestone: “1978, when director Riedler decided to fly with the Soviet missions,” said former director Wolfgang Baumjohann. “It was also important to unify the 2000 Institute.” Six locations in the south of Graz became one.
Will travel beyond our galaxy in the future
The IMF has already answered many questions, but not countless others. The current director, Christiane Helling, knows which ones we need to tackle in the future: “We mainly investigate planets outside our solar system and whether life could arise elsewhere.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
