July 23 is the day of the first Georgian space object

27 years ago, on July 23, 1999, for the first time in the history of independent Georgia, the Georgian scientific community and the citizens of Georgia witnessed the most important engineering and scientific event – the first Georgian space object for navigation in open space – a large-sized deployable reflector was launched. With this, a new era began in the history of Georgian engineering science.

The general designer of the large-sized deployable reflector is a full member of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, academician, Major General Elguja Medzmariashvili. The project was implemented at the Georgian Technical University. A group of scientists and engineers from the university worked on the creation of the deployable reflector under the direct leadership of Elguja Medzmariashvili. This is not just a past success – it is a fulcrum for solving future engineering challenges.

Rector of the Georgian Technical University, Academician David Gurgenidze, congratulates the General Designer of the deployable reflector – Academician, Major General Elguja Medzmariashvili, the group of scientists at the GTU and the Georgian scientific community on the Day of the First Georgian Space Object.

Space technologies are globally considered one of the leading directions that combine engineering, materials science, innovation, automation, cybersecurity, and data processing. The fact that Georgia has been among the space countries for 27 years has created the basis for several important perspectives, such as: the development of innovative research centers, the introduction of a new standard of engineering education, the deepening of international cooperation, technological integration and the strengthening of the startup ecosystem, which are an integral part of the educational and scientific mission of the Georgian Technical University. The GTU and its team of scientists have made a strong statement about their capacity to conduct pioneering research in space technologies and to pass on vital knowledge to future generations. The implementation of a project of global importance has shown that national education and science should also be oriented towards systems engineering, mechatronics, space technologies, and that global initiatives, including satellite communications and radio astronomy, create an opportunity for Georgia to participate in international projects. The achievement has shown that it is possible to develop a new technological business in our country, which includes space systems, microsatellites, and data analytics. The history of the large-scale “Reflector” experiment, which began at Georgian Technical University, continues to thrive today. Academician, Major General Elguja Medzmariashvili, together with engineers and scientists-researchers, with the active support of the GTU administration, successfully continues to work on space facilities and military-engineering structures.

We present to you a story that was aired on the Public Broadcaster program “Day on Channel One” (section “My Age”):