SAASST Launches Photography Exhibition to Highlight Apollo Mission

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Sciences, and Technology (SAASST) of the University of Sharjah (UoS) inaugurated a photography exhibition titled “Beyond Earth” to showcase photographs of the Apollo mission to the moon, in collaboration with the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and its Consulate General in Dubai.

The exhibition will run until March 11, 2024.

Attendees included Professor Youssef Al Haik, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, UoS, Meghan Gregonis, Consul General of the United States of America in Dubai, and several SAASST’s researchers and administrative staff.

The exhibition featured 30 photographs taken by top photographers such as Andy Saunders, one of the world’s foremost experts of NASA digital restoration.

He successfully restored the old film footage from the era of human exploration. Additionally, the exhibition presented the photographic work of the environmental photographer James Balog, who captures the climate change and its effects.

On the sideline of the exhibition, SAASST conducted a scientific lecture on crafting the Artemis Accords and the future of space governance, in collaboration with the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and its Consulate General in Dubai, and Redwire Space Corporation, to raise awareness among youth about the significance of agreements and cooperation between nations in the space sector.

The lecture was delivered by Mike Gold, Chief Growth Officer at Redwire, and former NASA Associate Administrator for the Office of International and Interagency Relations.

The event programme also included a tour of SAASST’s scientific exhibitions and a screening of a scientific show at the Sharjah Planetarium, in addition to hands-on activities using the 18cm Refractor telescope to observe the Lunar surface, under the supervision of the Sharjah Optical Observatory (SOO) team.