Portuguesa is one of the winners of ESA's Call

During November 2018, the European Space Agency (ESA) held the European Space Talks initiative, which in Portugal was supported by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). The initiative also included the #SpaceSelfie Call , the winners of which have now been announced by ESA. One of the selected photographs is by Portuguese photographer Vanessa Dias, who will travel to Kourou, ESA's launch base in French Guiana, to watch the launch of a space rocket live.

The young woman took her selfie after participating in the activity on November 24, at the Calouste Gulbenkian Planetarium-Centro Ciência Viva, organized by the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA). The challenge was to participate in one of the European Space Talks activities, take a photo related to space, and share it on social media with the hashtag of Call name. "After the session, it rained, and when I opened my umbrella, I smiled because the truth is that I carry hats with constellations and stars, and whenever it rains, I have the starry sky above me," Vanessa told the IA.

Vanessa Dias has a background in social sciences and the arts, and has a keen interest in astronomy. "I feel that space concerns us all, in that everything we are is also part of space," she told the institute.

The main objective of European Space Talks was to bring together citizens, companies, institutions, schools, and all interested parties to organize sessions in different formats to discuss various topics related to space. During November 2018, 280 events were promoted in 27 European countries. In Portugal, 11 sessions were held, organized by various institutions.

Photo credits: Vanessa Dias