ArachnoBeeA was selected recently by a NASA judging committee, from over 950 other projects from 135 locations worldwide, as one of the six global winners in the framework of the NASA International Space Apps Challenge. The runner-up team of the Space Apps Challenge Limassol 2015, was the global winner in the Best Mission Concept category.

In statements to CNA, team leader Aleksandar Bozic said that the team was very proud to be among the top six in the world and first in its category, and added that they had been invited by NASA to watch the launch of the Space X resupply rocket from the Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station in September.

“This is a once in a lifetime experience. Watching a man made technology going to space is truly thrilling,” he said.

The team comprises of people from Cyprus, the Ukraine, Serbia and Romania. Creators of ArachnoBeeA are Mihailo Kitanovic, Christos Antoniou, Charalambos Leventis, Adrian Carlan, Aleksandar Bozic, Iurii Fomenco, Visnja Durovic, Dragan Colovic, Ljubodrag Bozic and Nikola Gacic.

The Cypriot team designed an innovative quadcopter drone destined for usage in space vehicles.

The spider-bee drone can be used for small cargo transport as it has a ‘grab and capture’ capability and the ability to dock and release.

Participants had been asked to develop mobile applications, software, hardware, data visualization and platform solutions that could contribute to space exploration missions and help improve life on Earth.

On Friday the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO) is organising a press conference that will be held, under the auspices of the Minister of Communications and Works Marios Demetriades, in honour of the ArachnoBeeA team.

The CSEO said the team would represent Cyprus in September at the official award ceremony, which will be held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and will attend the launch of a space mission. A delegation and officials from the CSEO will also hold scheduled meetings with representatives of NASA, to discuss collaboration. “We will have discussions with NASA officials to see how our idea can be used,” Bozic said.

The ArachnoBeeA video can be found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc3HosYOPOk

Source: Cyprus Mail