Cultural WG webinar – Arab Space Histories & Initiatives

Free registration on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9c6tfiZrRIeuiznkf8jLxQ

AGENDA

1. Remo Rapetti – Introduction
2. Hanna A. Sabat – Space Science in the Arab World: In Pursuit of a Dream.
3. Sahba El-Shawa – A’wna Under a Shared Moon: Justice and Community in the Work of the Palestine Space Institute and Jordan Space Research Initiative.
4. Lisa Pettibone – Comments and questions.

Hanna A. Sabat holds a PhD in high-energy astrophysics from the University of Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, France, and is now Director of Scientific Affairs & Training at the Regional Center for Space Science & Technology Education for Western Asia, Amman, Jordan. Former Dean of the Institute of Astronomy and Space Sciences/ Al al-Bayt University, Mafraq, Jordan, and Former President of the Jordanian Astronomical Society, Amman, he has also been Jordan’s National Coordinator of the International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI), the International Year of Astronomy (IYA 2009) & the International Heliophysical Year (IHY 2007). Highly involved in the popularization of astronomy and space science in Jordan and the Arab world through public lectures, articles and TV interviews, he is also highly involved in educational curricula, particularly in astronomy and space science.

Sahba El-Shawa is the Founder of the Jordan Space Research Initiative (JSRI), which aims to bridge sustainability with space exploration through analog research and capacity building in Jordan, as well as the Palestine Space Institute (PSI), a think tank dedicated to decoupling space from the military-industrial complex and advancing social and environmental justice.  She is the first Jordanian and the first female Palestinian analog astronaut, and she led the organization of the first Jordanian analog space mission through JSRI in 2024. An award-winning researcher, Sahba was named an Emerging Space Leader by the International Astronautical Federation in 2023.Sahba holds a BASc in Mechanical Engineering, an MSc in Space Studies, and is currently completing her PhD in Sustainable Development and Climate Change. During her academic career, she has worked with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA) on projects ranging from robotics and VR applications to the environmental impacts of space activities and the use of AI for EO. Sahba’s interdisciplinary work and research is guided by a vision of space exploration grounded in justice, cultural identity, and collective responsibility. She is committed to fostering a more ethical, equitable, and sustainable future – both on Earth and in space.