Nikol Pashinyan presents Armenian State Award for Global Contribution to High Technologies to Kam Ghaffarian
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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has presented the Armenian State Award for Global Contribution to High Technologies to Kam Ghaffarian, an internationally recognised entrepreneur and visionary in space exploration and advanced technologies.
Pashinyan presented the award at the 17th Armenian State Award for Global Contribution to High Technologies ceremony, held at the presidential residence.
“With this award, we recognise not only technological achievements, but also the people whose ideas, courage and sustained work change humanity’s understanding of the limits of what is possible. Mr Ghaffarian, your journey is one of the finest examples of this. In 1969, when you were still a child, you watched the first human steps on the Moon. That event inspired you to pursue science and space technologies.
“In 2024, the Odysseus spacecraft, built by Intuitive Machines, the company you co-founded, landed on the Moon, becoming the first space system to reach it in 52 years. This is a very impressive story of how a childhood dream can become a scientific and technological achievement of global significance,” Pashinyan said in his address at the ceremony.
Speaking after receiving the award, Ghaffarian expressed regret that he had not visited Armenia sooner. He said he had grown very fond of Armenia and would certainly return.
“I have always made sure that my vision becomes a goal. My goal is to deepen humanity’s knowledge.
“I believe that humanity’s ultimate destination is other stars. If we do not destroy ourselves, perhaps one day we will reach those other stars. I think that, initially, there could be a city beyond space where people can live and work,” Ghaffarian said.