Twenty students of ages between 10 and 18 from different localities of the Republic of Moldova have had their dreams made true: the pupils were given the unique opportunity to find out the answers to all their questions about space directly from the source – astronauts from the ISS.
This remarkable experience has been made possible through a large-scale project carried out by the National Center for Space Technologies (CNTS) within the Technical University of Moldova (UTM), the US Peace Corps in the Republic of Moldova (USPCVC) and the Amateur Radio Service on the International Space Station (ARISS), who managed to establish the connection and organize a live dialogue between students from the Republic of Moldova and the astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS). The event took place on March 3 between 13:30 – 15:20, the dialogue being initiated and moderated on the ZOOM platform by Edward KENDALL, coordinator of the US Peace Corps volunteers in the Republic of Moldova.
The young people from Molovata, Sălcuța, Băcioi, Sângerei, Gura Bâcului, Ștefănești, Cociulia, Cirești and Cobani were greeted online by the Rector of TUM, Prof. Viorel BOSTAN, who invited the students to a virtual tour within the National Center for Space Technologies, where they could witness the achievements of TUM researchers in space science. The CNTS representatives came with a presentation on the micro-nanosatellites developed within the Center and the satellite communications earth stations. In this context, the Deputy Director of CNTS, Nicolae SECRIERU, came with comprehensive explanations on the need to develop space technologies for everyday life, as they represent an innovative platform for the industry, communications and medicine fields, as well as many other spheres of activity. That is why TUM scientists include highschool students, undergraduates, Master’s students and Doctoral students alike in the research process within the field of satellites/space, guiding and motivating them to get involved and capitalize on these important aspects of scientific research. The main attraction of the virtual tour was the nanosatellite “TUMnanoSAT”, developed within CNTS-UTM, currently in its last stage of complex testing, and which, subsequently, will become the first satellite of the Republic of Moldova launched into space. In this regard, in June 2019, the CNTS team was selected by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) for the fourth round of the KiboCUBE Program for the launch of the “TUMnanoSAT” nanosatellite from the International Space Station (ISS) using the Japanese experimental module KiboCUBE.
The presentation was followed by the most awaited moment – the actual dialogue with the astronauts from ISS, which the highschool students were very eager to witness. The ARISS was contacted in the presence of the students, while the radio connection with the ISS was being checked. The first one to greet them live was astronaut Mike HOPKINS, on board the International Space Station. From this point, questions kept flowing continuously: Why did he choose this job? What is an astronaut’s daily routine on the International Space Station? What kind of experiments are performed on board the ISS? What is it like to live and work in space? What does the Earth look like from “above”? Do you ever call your family from space? What is the most difficult thing to get used to in the absence of gravity? How do you deal with a major medical emergency on board a spaceship? Why was the last mission to the moon in 1972? How long does it take to recover from a space trip: physically and psychologically? What advice would you give students who want to be astronauts?
Astronaut Mike HOPKINS provided well-reasoned answers to all questions, managing to keep the students captivated throughout the whole experience.
The dialogue was followed by a series of questions to the CNTS staff on how students can gain in-depth knowledge in science and technology, and the presentation of the various faculties and specialties of the Technical University of Moldova where the students can study and explore these fields.
Impressive, exciting and captivating, this dialogue was an example of a successfully achieved goal. The objective was attained due to TUM’s collaboration with the Peace Corps – an educational institution that aims to promote economic and civic development, with a special focus on developing local resources in rural and suburban communities, offering young people from Moldovan villages access to STEM opportunities and support for local teachers and librarians to implement STEM activities in the educational process.
Note:
The event can be watched on TUM’s Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/UTMoldova/
and Facebook page of the Peace Corps of Moldova – https://www.facebook.com/PeaceCorpsMoldova/?ref=page_internal
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