Dr Leonardo Barilaro, Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at MCAST, was invited as a speaker at the Future Innovation Summit 2022 in Dubai.

The event is the biggest summit in the Middle East, focused on the main topics of Space, Metaverse, and Sustainability.

The invitation to present the MCAST Aerospace Program, the related MSc in Aerospace Engineering, and the activities in Aviation were possible thanks to H.E. Madam Ambassador Maria Camilleri Calleja.

Her activity has been key to putting Malta on the map in such a big and international event, showcasing the potential of MCAST in the very competitive aviation and aerospace field; her support has greatly facilitated the networking and the creation of links with experts in the sector.

Moreover, Dr Leonardo Barilaro, which is also a professional pianist, has been invited to premiere exclusively for the honorable guests his composition for piano and synth “Maleth”, which will fly to the International Space Station, departing from Cape Canaveral next 7th June onboard SpaceX CR25 rocket launch.

Dr Barilaro joined forces with Professor Joseph Borg of the University of Malta, a molecular geneticist that started the ‘Maleth Program’ with the SpaceOMIX mission, paving the way for a bigger collaboration with MCAST in 2023. ‘Maleth’, which is the name of the running program taking bioscience missions to space and the title of the composition, is the ancient Phoenician term for Malta. The idea of bringing the music into space has risen from the desire of inspiring people and spreading awareness about this new era for mankind, on the path to becoming a multi-planetary species.

The music will be stored on the mission computer, integrated into an ICE Cubes platform managed by Space Application Services. After the launch and once it arrives onboard the ISS, it will stay there for a total of 60 days, the music will be accessed from the mission control room managed by Arkafort Ltd. in Qormi, Malta, and broadcasted from space in a specially planned event.

This unique project will bring for the very first time the name of MCAST into outer Space.