YEREVAN, November 3. /ARKA/. Kam Ghaffarian, co-founder of Axiom Space, founder and co-founder of IBX, Axiom Space, Intuitive Machines, X-energy, and Quantum Space, American engineer and entrepreneur, has been named the 2026 laureate of the State Prize of the Republic of Armenia for his global contribution to high technology.
The official award ceremony will take place on November 4 at the Presidential Palace. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will present Ghaffarian with the award in recognition of his contribution to space exploration, innovation, and technology for the benefit of humanity.
Ghaffarian is in Armenia on a three-day official visit. During his visit, he will meet with government officials, technology industry representatives, students, and university faculty.
The award as an opportunity to strengthen ties between the tech communities of Armenia and the world
At a press conference on Tuesday, RA Deputy Minister of High-Tech Industry and Artificial Intelligence Gevorg Mantashyan noted that Ghaffarian’s visit could inspire new initiatives among Armenian entrepreneurs.
“Mr. Ghaffarian’s presence here once again proves that there are directions and opportunities, and we must not limit ourselves,” Mantashyan said.
General Director of Viva, which is the main partner of the award, Armen Avetisyan, in turn, emphasized the importance of the influence of Ghaffarian’s example on young people, noting the importance of self-confidence.
“For Viva, which has supported this award for 17 years, its value lies not only in recognizing outstanding achievements. If Cam Ghaffarian’s story inspires at least a few young people to believe in themselves and move closer to achieving their own dreams, we can say that our many years of support for this award have truly brought results,” Avetisyan noted.
Hovik Musayelyan, Director of Synopsys Armenia, the initiator and sponsor of the award, who coordinates the work of the award committee’s executive board and the international selection committee, noted in his discussion of the award’s history that 17 years ago, few believed in the feasibility of this idea.
“Seventeen years ago, we simply dared to put forward such an idea. Almost no one believed in its feasibility, but a few of us, believing in it and setting the bar very high, worked towards realizing our dream,” Musayelyan said.
According to him, this award is of exceptional importance today in terms of raising Armenia’s profile.
Ghaffarian’s Predictions: Daily Flights to the Moon and Weekly Flights to Mars
At a press conference held during his visit to Armenia, Ghaffarian discussed the future of space exploration, predicting that by 2050, it will be possible to fly to the space station every hour, to the Moon every day, and to Mars every week.
He envisions reaching the space station, located at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers above Earth, through hourly launches.
“This isn’t just a station; it’s a space city where people work and live,” he said.
He also touched on the possibility of reducing the time needed to reach Mars.
“Instead of the roughly nine months needed to fly to Mars, we’ll have almost nine days,” Ghaffarian said.
He emphasized that his vision is to advance humanity and human knowledge.
“I hope that one day I can inspire someone in Armenia or anywhere else to say: I will study engineering, study science, and contribute to the progress of humanity,” he said.
Ghaffarian also emphasized that, when looking at Earth, astronauts don’t see national or religious borders, but perceive the planet as one common home.
According to him, space exploration can foster a sense of unity among people.
About the Prize
The State Prize of the Republic of Armenia for Global Contribution to High Technologies was established in 2009 by decree of the President of the Republic of Armenia and is awarded to individuals whose achievements in high technology have made a significant contribution to the development of humanity.
The initiator and sponsor of the prize is Synopsys. Viva has been the prize’s main partner for 17 consecutive years. The initiative is also supported by the Union of Employers in the Information and Communications Technology (UEICT) and the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.
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