Local scientist opens Festa Major with call to dream

Dr Estel Blay Carreras, a Manresa-born aerospace engineer, delivered the official pregó, or opening speech, for the Festa Major de Manresa 2026 on Saturday 29 August at midday in the Ajuntament’s Saló de Sessions. Her speech marked the formal start of the city’s annual festival, as confirmed by the official schedule published by the city’s cultural platform.

Blay, who holds a doctorate in Aerospace Science and Technology from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), was chosen by Manresa City Council to honour her international scientific career and deep ties to the city. She received a standing ovation after a speech that wove together personal memory, scientific ambition and a call for gender equality.

From judo tatami to Mars simulations

Blay began her address by remembering her late father, Xavier Blay, calling him the "most Manresa-born Barcelonan" and saying he would be proud. She traced her journey from childhood in Manresa, where she practised judo at Esport-7, to her current work in space research. The discipline of judo, she said, taught her resilience, respect and the importance of falling in order to learn.

She recalled how the sport gave her the confidence to believe she could achieve extraordinary things. "I did not come into this world to watch others do amazing things," she said, "but to do them myself."

I belong to Manresa. I am here as the girl who grew up on these streets, who learned to fall on the city’s tatamis, who was educated in its schools and who looked at the sky wondering what lay beyond.

Commanding an all-women mission to the Arctic

Blay announced she will command Hypatia III, the first all-female crewed Mars analog mission, during summer 2027 on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic. The mission, organised by The Mars Society, will take place at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station, a location chosen for its extreme isolation and Mars-like conditions.

As commander, Blay will oversee safety, logistics and research operations in an environment where the nearest medical facility is four hours away by plane. The mission aims to advance space research and highlight women’s contributions to STEAM fields. Research will focus on cellular aging, satellite monitoring of Earth’s surface and communication in isolated environments.

She said taking on the leadership role with pride was important, as women are often taught to downplay their achievements. "Leadership doesn’t mean thinking you’re better than others," she said. "It means serving your team, making tough decisions, listening, protecting and supporting the group when things get hard."

A vision of equality and community

Blay paid tribute to generations of women scientists whose work went unrecognised. "For centuries, many women observed, calculated, discovered and transformed the world without their names appearing in books. They didn’t lack talent, they lacked recognition and were burdened with prejudice," she said.

She drew parallels between Manresa’s historic water management system, La Séquia, and modern challenges in sustaining life on Mars, framing both as examples of collective intelligence. She also defended the Catalan language as a vital tool for knowledge and imagination, calling it a "precious refuge" when living abroad.

She closed with a vision for an inclusive festival and society: one where everyone feels welcome, women can walk home safely, and no one is discriminated against for their origin, identity or who they love.

Let’s look up. We do not ask for forgiveness for our dreams. Let no girl believe there are places she cannot reach. Let’s care for our language, our land and our people. Let’s celebrate all that we are, and all that we can still become.

Reported by regio7.cat, diaricatalunya.cat, naciodigital.cat, festamajor.de, premsa.manresa.cat, fiestas.net, english.elpais.com, elpais.com, Regió7, Hypatia, mediahub.fundacionlacaixa.org, europesays.com, Regió 7.