European Space Agency’s Newsletter on Education No. 5 November 2003 ‘Habla ISS’: The Project page 20 pages 18 - 19 Interview with Frank de Winne pages 15 - 17 http://www.esa.int/education Editorial According to Agenda 2007, the plan proposed for the future of ESA by ESA’s new Director-General Jean-Jacques Dordain, there is a growing aware- ness of the importance of education at interna- tional level. The development of an Education Programme is one of the objectives proposed in the Agenda, objectives which are for attainment within four years. They also include an evolution of the ESA / European Union Framework Agreement and a global increase of activities managed by ESA. In support of the Member States and of the European institutions ESA is building up an Education Programme with two main target groups: young Europeans below the age of 18 for whom space is a source of inspiration and motivation for future choices, and students above 18 who have already made a career choice and are looking for high-level education and an open door to the working world. Activities with cooperating states and international organisations are already part of ESA’s education policy. The Physics on Stage programme, for example, promotes the improvement of physics and science teaching all over Europe. It was originally set up by three of Europe’s leading research organisations (CERN, ESA and ESO) as part of the European Week for Science and Technology 2000. Since then the project has evolved, all organisers are members of the EIROforum whose proposal for a European Science Teachers Initiative has recently been submitted to the European Commission. The future of projects like Physics on Stage (that will soon become a more comprehensive Science on Stage) lay in the framework of continuous coopera- tion and exchange between institutions and international organisations. This fifth issue of EDUnews focuses on education activities for teachers. It also includes a pedagogical central folder for primary schools on the mission of Pedro Duque to the International Space Station. Try the exercises in your classroom and send us your feedback! We hope you will enjoy it. Walter Thiebaut Head of Administration and Education Contents Editorial 2 Norwegian Space Education 10 Summer School Alpbach 2003 3 ‘Habla ISS’: The Project 11 ISU Summer Session 3 Interview with Frank de Winne 15 GLOBE in Croatia 4 Under African Skies 18 Life in Space 4 Photo Gallery 20 Pulling threads – Ariadna 5 Aurora Programme 22 It’s relatively parabolic 6 What’s coming up 24 Physics on Stage, 3rd edition 8 2 EDUnews No 5 November 2003 Summer School Alpbach 2003 „Working and Living in Space: from ISS to Moon and Mars” This year’s – the 27th – Alpbach Summer The work culminated in the design of the Michaela Gitsch School welcomed 55 students from differ- following space missions: ent ESA Member States. The participants • A tourism-based commercial venture- ASA had to design visionary and credible space based on a lunar habitat, with ISS as a missions that could form the core for stepping-stone: Project “Honee Moon”; human spaceflight activities after the • A far-term expanded exploration strat International Space Station. egy for Mars: Project “M.A.R.S. (Mars Attractive and Really Sexy)”; Two astronauts, ESA’s Claude Nicollier • A manned mission to a near-Earth and NASDA’s Chiaki Mukai talked about asteroid: Project “A P E X - Asteroid what is means to be an astronaut and Perturbation and Exploration”; provided the important point of view of the • An early manned mission to Mars: crew. Throughout the two weeks the Project “Project M3 - Building an Summer School students participated in a Orbiting Station Around Mars” series of workshops. The purpose of the workshops was to foster the practical The projects were subsequently submitted application of knowledge from the lec- to ESA’s Aurora Student Design Contest. tures, to develop organisational and team One of the projects, “Project M3”, was skills and to encourage creativity. Four selected among the finalists of the contest teams competed for the best project, and was presented at the Aurora judged by an independent international Academia Workshop on 8/9 September in jury, chaired by Prof. Roger Bonnet, Barcelona. This is a further indication of former ESA Director of Science and the high quality of work accomplished by Director of the International Space the students participating in the Alpbach Science Institute, ISSI. Summer School. ISU Summer Session Strasbourg, France - The Summer Session intercultural environment, and Program (SSP) of the International Space to produce a comprehensive University (ISU) closed with the partici- report of a professional level to pants' Team Project presentations and the be presented in a public Closing Ceremony in Strasbourg, France, session. After the SSP, these on 4 and 5 September 2003 respectively. reports are also going to be pre- sented at international confer- At ISU, students work in interdisciplinary ences and meetings. and intercultural teams of 30 to 50 gradu- ate-level students and young space profes- The participants of the Climate Change sionals to perform a comprehensive analy- project, for example, decided to focus on sis and propose innovative recommenda- "the development of a framework to better tions on a topic of relevance to the space understand the abrupt climate change sector. The intensive programme lasts phenomenon in the North Atlantic region three months; this year, 107 students par- through the application of space technol- ticipated. The main objectives of the Team ogy". In addition to ISU's own faculty, this Projects are to encourage participants to work benefited from experts made avail- For more information put into practice what they learned during able by Université Louis Pasteur in on ISU and future the SSP, to contribute with their own edu- Strasbourg, Météo France, EUMETSAT Summer Session cational and professional backgrounds, to and from the National Oceanic and Programs, see experience decision-making and organis- Atmospheric Administration -NOAA- in www.isunet.edu ing team work in a multidisciplinary and the USA. 3 EDUnews No 5 November 2003 GLOBE in Croatia Dr. Sven Baerwalde Approximately 400 students, teachers and learn from each other and the GLOBE sci- scientists from 23 countries around the entists. For the full story and more about German Aerospace world met during the 2003 GLOBE GLOBE, please see: www.globe.gov" Center, DLR Learning Expedition (GLE) in Sibenik, Space Operations Croatia. The GLE was organised by The and Space GLOBE Program®, a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based edu- Technologies, GLOBE cation and science programme, and the Management Croatian Ministry of Education and Sports. Students presented research pro- jects and showcased how easily real Earth Science environmental data can be used for science projects. The students also had two days of fieldwork at Krka National Park and on the island of Obonjan. The GLE gave the students an opportunity to Garry Randolph from GLOBE Headquarters in front of experience and take Earth Science mea- a weather shelter explaining how to do weather meas- surements in a new environment and urements accurately. Visit the website for more GLOBE is a cooperative effort of schools, led in the United States by a Federal intera- information: gency programme supported by NASA, NSF, EPA and the U.S. State Department, in www.globe.gov partnership with colleges and universities, state and local school systems, and non- government organisations. Life science students learn about “Life in Space” Over a period of two weeks Based on these insights, we created our European life sciences stu- own spaceflight experiments (including dents had the opportunity to “Aging process concerning the thelomere attend the "Life in Space" shortening”, “Stemcells development course in the Laboratoire under microgravity conditions”, Arago in Banyuls-sur-Mer, “Orientation of water insects under micro- France. This ERASMUS- gravity conditions in small international supported programme was groups”). This meant not only a significant coordinated by the univer- improvement of our team working skills sities of Paris VI, and research abilities, but also an Nottingham, Bonn, increase in our knowledge of human Madrid and Sassari. For the second culture. time in the history of "Life in Space", ESA The experiences we made and friendships was a supporting part of the programme. we formed in the amazing surrounding of Marie Diop, ESA- In several lectures we got to know the the "Laboratoire Arago" left a permanent ESTEC (MSM /GS) important role of microgravity on life mark in our memories. For the future we processes and the great involvement of hope that more students will be able to ESA in human spaceflight. make the same enriching experiences that we made. 4 EDUnews No 5 November 2003 Pulling threads – Ariadna to boost advanced space research in Europe Will spacecraft travelling through inter- gies and novel mission concepts. Torsten Bondo planetary space be able to determine their • Mathematics and Informatics: Research positions by using signals from dead stars into advanced computing systems and Advanced Concepts as astronomical clocks? Can artificial mathematical tools. Team muscles made from electro-active poly- •Biomimicry: Developing technology by mers one day replace mechanical parts in imitating biology. spacecraft? Will it ever be possible to con- ceive an interstellar highway in which Small ESA contracts will be awarded to spacecraft journey across the galaxy using teams of research institutes and academic the delicate gravitational balance between departments to perform work directly neighbouring stars? These are just some related to the objectives of the ACT. of the imaginative, futuristic concepts that will be studied in the first call for propos- als issued under a new ESA initiative named Ariadna. Managed by the ESA Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) on behalf of the Agency’s Advanced Concepts and Studies Office, Ariadna will strengthen the existing links between ESA and the More information European academic com- on Ariadna and the munity.