Space exploration history and upcoming astronaut visit in Coimbra

The historical roots of modern aerial navigation are being highlighted through the legacy of Portuguese aviators Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral. Their 1922 transatlantic flight from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro covered 8,383 kilometers in a seaplane, utilizing a navigation system invented by Coutinho. This mission, which took 79 days and involved multiple stops in Cape Verde and Brazil, served as a technological precursor to contemporary space navigation systems like those used in NASA’s Artemis missions.

In a contemporary connection to space exploration, astronaut Andreas Mogensen, head of the European Space Agency’s European Astronaut Corps, will visit Coimbra, Portugal, on October 29. The free event at UC Exploratório is part of the GLEX Ignition program, which brings together global scientists and researchers. Mogensen will share insights from his experience aboard the International Space Station, focusing on his scientific interests in astrophysics and exobiology.