I was only eight years old, it was late at night but I remember seeing  fuzzy black and white pictures on the TV. At one time the picture was upside down. I was watching a man stepping on the moon.

Since then I have been fascinated by space travel and science in general. I studied the science subjects at St Aloysius College and became a surgeon.

While I have a great interest in astronomy, especially planetary, I have always been interested in rockets, the personalities of the people who made them and flew them and what they and unmanned probes have discovered.

I think that the IYA 2009 is a great opportunity to publicise astronomy and science. We aim to target children and perhaps interest them in science as a career. 2009 also happens to be the fortieth anniversary of the landing of Apollo 11 on the Sea of Tranquility on 20th July 1969. We will commemorate that event, which was probably mankind's greatest adventure.



President John F Kennedy and Wernher von Braun
Kennedy requested, von Braun delivered.