MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2022) Over a dozen young cancer patients from ten different cities were invited to watch the launch of Russia's new Skif-D communications satellite, and, thanks to the efforts of Russian state space corporation Roscosmos and Unity Foundation, the drawings of over 100 children were sent into space.
"The launch of a spacecraft is always an exciting event for creators of space technology. The launch of a new spacecraft is double the excitement. For children whose drawings are featured on the elements of the new Skif-D spacecraft, the launch of this satellite is an event akin to magic," Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov told Sputnik.
The Russian Skif-D satellite, the first orbital spacecraft from the Sfera (Sphere) multi-satellite orbital constellation, was launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome on October 22, at 22:57 Moscow time (19:57 GMT), using the Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket. Skif-D was successfully put into orbit along with three Gonets-M communications satellites, according to Roscosmos.
Earlier this month, Unity Foundation President Alena Kuzmenko told Sputnik that the drawings of around 100 children aged 2 to 17 who have cancer were placed on the plates installed inside and on the surface of the Skif-D spacecraft, as part of the "The Dream Satellite" project.
Sergey Kud-Sverchkov explained that volunteers from the Unity charity foundation spent a year engaging young cancer patients in art therapy and collected the children's drawings, depicting their dreams.
"And now, the little patients have come to the Vostochny cosmodrome to see with their own eyes how the updated Soyuz 2.1b will raise the drawings with their dreams to the stars. What seemed like a fantasy to the children has become a reality," Kud-Sverchkov told Sputnik.
His wife Olga, an ambassador of the Unity foundation, said that the project involving young cancer patients was launched over a year ago and has given hope to children who have cancer, making their dreams come true.
"After all, somewhere out there, 24 metal plates with engravings of 150 drawings of little patients from Serbia, Zambia, Irkutsk, Lipetsk, Tambov, Tula and Chekhov are attached to the Skif-D communications satellite. It is symbolic that the drawings are attached precisely to the communications satellite and already at this very moment, traveling through the expanses of the universe, they broadcast the innermost childhood dreams into the universe," Olga said.
Unity volunteers have visited cancer hospitals for children in 13 different Russian cities, as well as in Serbia and Zambia. Twenty children who participated in the art project were able to attend the Skif-D launch in person. They also visited the space museum in the city of Blagoveshchensk in Russia's Amur region, as well as the Amur State University, which prepares specialists for the Vostochny cosmodrome. The children and their families were accompanied by Russian cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and his wife Olga during the Blagoveshchensk tour.
"This trip left an indelible mark, because it was the first time that I experienced this topic. I was struck by the scale of all the structures of the cosmodrome, the entire infrastructure shocked me with its grandeur," Nikita, a tenth grade student from Voronezh, said.
Now, every participant in "The Dream Satellite" project can look up to the skies knowing that his or her drawing is somewhere far up above, revolving around the Earth. The Skif-D satellite will fly in space for about half a century, carefully keeping the children's dreams inscribed on it.
