Sciences education with Planète Sciences: a squadron of tools and programmes to go on space conquest
- Paper number
IAC-08.E1.2.1
- Author
Mr. Christophe Scicluna, Planete Sciences, France
- Coauthor
Mr. Nicolas Chaléroux, Planete Sciences, France
- Coauthor
Mr. Pierre-Louis Contreras, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES), France
- Coauthor
Mrs. Anne Serfass-Denis, CNES, France
- Coauthor
Mr. Nicolas Pillet, France
- Year
2008
- Abstract
Since 1964, and with the support of CNES and major aerospace industries, the French non-profit organization Planète Sciences has been providing young amateurs with facilities, tools and programmes to make their dream fly. With space conquest as an original and main focus, Planète Sciences has evolved and is promoting sciences and technology through practical activities and experimentation to youth from elementary school to university levels. The spectrum of thematics has broadened over the years and now includes, space activities, astronomy, robotics, environment, meteorology, energy and archaeology; Safety and pedagogy remains the central motivations for the proposed activities. Young space conquerors are proposed to get hands on projects ranging from micro-rockets to experimental rockets but also stratospheric balloons and Cansats. Planète Sciences is conducting programmes, trainings, workshops, club projects in France and beyond, with a wide team mainly composed of volunteers. With micro-rocket or more recently water-rockets, available from the age of 7, youngsters are brought to design and manufacture their first rocket and to learn the basics of aerodynamics, flight stability, propulsion and safety procedures. This can be performed within a couple of days and the altitude reached by the rockets is from 50 to 100 meters, before falling back under a parachute. Junior high and high school students are proposed to work on a long-term project (from one to two years) that ends with the launch of their rockets within a secured and safe area, as their project could reach up to 3 km high. Mini-rocket purpose is to deploy a recovery device (typically a parachute); the experimental rocket, propelled by a more powerful engine is lifting off experiments and/or Cansats during the yearly launching campaign. From assumptions to interpretation and reporting: the pedagogic process is deployed with the space amateurs in order to lead them and teach them with efficient experimentation and successful understanding. The Stratospheric Balloon projects can be performed within a classroom or a club during a 6 months period. The team members have to design and build all the experiments of their choice which take place in a basket hanging below a weather balloon. Reaching very high altitude (up to 40 km, enough to observe the round shape of the planet), this vector allows studying the different layers of the atmosphere and its characteristics, to perform remote sensing, land recognition, image processing and other rare atmosphere experiments. A dedicated telemetry transmitter is provided by CNES for the young space quasi-travelers assess their first results. Mini-rockets and stratospheric balloons projects are proposed through nation-wide programmes to all schools willing to participate; every year, and for 10 years now, more than 200 school groups participate to these programmes. Besides the activities and programmes, trainings are provided all along the year, matching the needs for technical or pedagogic knowledge of club members, teachers, educators… The projects proposed by Planète Sciences are performed within safety constraints and come with pedagogic and technical support and reviews from volunteers, several times during the project lifetime. They involve teamwork and the development of management and experimental process. They are made available to the largest and most popular range of participants and are the most important space outreach programs in the country.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.E1.2.1.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
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