Hey, and welcome back to our blog!
This year is a big one, it’s the 10-year anniversary of Ascend! And to celebrate a whole decade of innovation, teamwork, and drone work, we went all out by combining the annual Drone Reveal with our jubilee and the Ascend Days. It all came together in one unforgettable week.
Some weeks ago it was the anniversary week and it was packed full of energy. We had stands, bedpres, presentations, and topped it all off with a gala dinner. Over 150 guests joined in for this celebration and nostalgia. The business group took the lead as hosts and welcomed everyone with great energy. Before we even got to the appetizers, our leader duo held an opening speech that set the tone for the night.
10 YEARS OF TECHNOLOGY
Since this was a 10-year celebration, it was only right to take a little trip down memory lane. Some of the original founders shared stories from when Ascend first started, and it was amazing to hear how far we’ve come. Just before the main course, our main partner, Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, shared their side of the story, how they were pitched the idea of Ascend and why they decided to come onboard. After the food, the evening kicked into high gear. Our hosts showed a bunch of awesome videos showing what it’s like to be part of Ascend, and further on the previous teams gave a peek into their journey. We had a special appreciation moment for all the incredible women who have been part of Ascend throughout the years, which got a lot of love from the audience. Then came dessert, and wow, the chocolate mousse definitely deserves a shoutout. While everyone was enjoying it, we wrapped up the final pieces of Ascend’s history, including stories from teams 23 and 24.
SPECIAL GUESTS
Trondheim’s very own mayor, Kent Ranum, stopped by and gave a speech on how important technology is to the city. After that, the incoming dean of the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering took the mic to remind us that you don’t have to be a nerd to love science, that science is really just about curiosity, and it’s for everyone. The vibe was great, people were smiling and laughing, and it felt like a proper celebration. And then came the big moment we’d all been waiting for…
DRONE REVEAL
At the end of the evening, we introduced our four new drones Kowalski, Skipper, Private, and Rico, named after the legendary penguins from Madagascar. Team 25 is now getting ready to take on IARC Mission 10, and the excitement is definitely in the air.
Our technical leads gave a breakdown of the upcoming mission, and all the subgroups got a chance to show off what they’ve been working on. The night wrapped up with mingling, laughter, and of course, a short trip to Den Gode Nabo to end things in true Ascend style.
