NASA Ames Research Center Director, Dr. Simon Worden, recently led a 5-affiliate delegation on a 3-day tour of Lithuanian high tech research facilities and institutions. He also had interviews with Lietuvos Rytas IQ, and Ekonomika.lt, and gave a speech on the search for extraterrestrial life and space exploration to more than 300 students at Vilnius University’s Physics Faculty.
The NASA delegation commented that some of the research being done in Lithuania is more advanced than anything he has seen in the U.S. According to the scientist Lithuania is known for advanced technologies, especially in the field of small satellites and country’s science potential would allow a successful contribution to the projects of NASA. ”We are considering cooperation with different universities and companies and we expect to implement joint projects,” the NASA official said after meeting with Lithuania’s prime minister, Andrius Kubilius.
The visit included meetings with Economy Minister Zylius, and trips to Kaunas Technology University, Vilnius University, Lithuanian Energy Institute, and several high technology companies. “We are considering cooperation with different companies and Universities and we expect to implement joint projects,” also stated the NASA official. Traditionally NASA cooperates with Russian, European and Japanese space agencies, yet now implementing the new space policy of the U.S. President Barack Obama, they are looking for ways to cooperate with additional states to forge alliances with new technology advance partners.
