Astronaut Points Abu Dhabi Students To Space
Passion and patience are key traits for fulfilling the dream of travelling to space, according to Italian astronaut Maurizio Cheli.
Speaking to students at the Higher Colleges of Technology Abu Dhabi Men’s College on Tuesday, Mr Cheli recounted the journey that led him in 1996 to become one of the first Europeans to orbit Earth.
“Passion is what moves people and makes us go the extra mile,” said Mr Cheli, whose love of flying aircraft led him to the International Space Centre.
Having grown up in what was then the small northern Italian village of Modena, to parents who had never flown on a commercial flight, Mr Cheli said he knew he wanted to be a pilot when he saw planes flying overhead at a young age.
“I looked up and said ‘I want to pilot one of these and make that plane do what I want’. I have never looked back.” Details
