“This is a picture depicting a trombone player communicating with aliens through music from a space station in 2124. Isn't it beautiful? The colors are amazing too.”
On the afternoon of the 5th, a special moment unfolded where children's imaginations connected with space. Over 200 people watched live as an astronaut from the United States introduced a drawing by a Korean elementary student from the International Space Station (ISS), located 400 km above Earth.
The domestic pharmaceutical company Boryung held an event in collaboration with the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Creativity (KOSAC) to present last year's award-winning works of the Youth Space Science Competition 'Humans in Space (HIS) Youth' from space. Boryung selected 20 paintings themed 'Imagine a day in the space station' as award winners at the HIS Youth Competition.
The winning works went to the United States and were carried aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, headed to the ISS last June. This marks the first time in 17 years since the flight of Korea's first astronaut, Yi So-yeon, that a Korean creation has reached space.
During the live broadcast, American astronaut Peggy Whitson (65) introduced a drawing by a Korean elementary student. Whitson was the first woman commander of a space station expedition in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and traveled to space with Dr. Yi So-yeon in 2008. She is currently staying at the space station as the commander of the private space company Axiom Space's expedition 'AX-4.'
When Commander Whitson appeared on the screen from space, the children burst into cheers. In response to the children's greeting of “Hello, Dr. Whitson,” she smiled brightly and replied, “I am happy to meet all of you who will become the future space leaders. Congratulations to everyone who has come this far today.”
Next, Commander Whitson introduced the winning works one by one. The winning pieces contained children's imaginations, such as a party in space, a space station endangered by Earth’s trash, and a journey to an unknown planet. As Whitson introduced the works, a cute protest of “No” erupted from the audience when she accidentally misnamed the author or the title, creating laughter.
After the consolidation with the ISS ended, winners Kim Si-hoon and Ahn So-yul took the stage to share their brief impressions. Kim Si-hoon said, “I think this will remain as a precious memory that I will never forget,” and Ahn So-yul said, “This opportunity has made me more interested in space.”
Before the live broadcast, the award-winning works were exhibited at the entrance of the venue, attracting the attention of visitors. Children standing in front of their artworks proudly explained them to their families, while parents captured the moment with their mobile phone cameras. Kim Jeong-kyun, the representative of Boryung who hosted the event, also introduced each piece to the dignitaries present at the venue.
The process leading up to the live space broadcast was not smooth. The rocket carrying the award-winning paintings was originally scheduled for launch in August last year, but the schedule was postponed several times due to ISS schedule adjustments, inclement weather, and oxidizer leaks. After much delay, it successfully launched on June 25, delivering the paintings to the ISS.
Kim Jeong-kyun, representative of Boryung, said, “It wasn’t easy to get to this point, and through that process, I felt there was so much to do for the next generation. One day, I must strive for a day when a Korean astronaut will introduce children’s drawings directly from a Korean rocket launched from Korean soil to a space secured for Korea.”
He also stated, “The launch pad at Kennedy Space Center from which the rocket carrying these drawings was launched is the very place where Apollo 11 took off to land on the moon for the first time in human history in 1969. Just as Apollo 11 marked a significant milestone in human history, today will be remembered as the day Korea took a step further into space.”
Boryung is actively practicing corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the area of science culture. In the future, they plan to expand the event by sending not only drawings but also experiments personally planned by students to the space station in low Earth orbit and the lunar station to be constructed later.
Jung Woo-sung, chairman of the Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Creativity (KOSAC), noted, “While large corporations have been passive in CSR related to science culture, it is a meaningful change that companies like Boryung are the first to step into new areas. This project is not just a simple scientific event; it serves as a turning point for science technology culture education and illustrates that corporate challenges can lead to societal change, providing a good starting point.”