international master seeds, space exploration and development systems. reflections on three years of activities
- Paper number
IAC-08.E1.5.7
- Author
Prof. Ernesto Vallerani, Space Exploration and Develoment Systems Master, Italy
- Coauthor
Prof. Gianfranco Chiocchia, Politecnico di Torino, Italy
- Year
2008
- Abstract
The International MASTER-SEEDS program has been originated from a cooperative initiative, initiated more than five years ago at Torino, between the Politecnico di Torino and, at the time, Alenia Space. The main objective was, and is, to create unique educational opportunities for a group of young European graduated engineers to work together on a common program centred on the feasibility study of an Exploration Mission. The organization of the International Master SEEDS, foresees the activities to be performed in three distinct European Towns, that all possess the common characteristic of being locations of major International Industrial Space activities: Toulouse (France), Bremen (Germany) and Torino (Italy). In each location the local Academic Institutions, namely SUPAERO (now ISAE) at Toulouse, Universität Bremen and Politecnico of Torino, work in strict cooperation with the local Space Industries, offering a very unique stimulating environment to the students that are recruited mainly in the three Countries. The International Master SEEDS is completing, December 2008, the third year of activities, the enrolled students with the support of the industrial tutors have performed each year a different Project Work consisting in a Phase A Study of an assigned Exploration Missions: “Human Lunar Initial Settlement”, the first year, “Permanent Human Moon Base”, the second year and ”Lunar Orbiting- Space Operation Center” the last third year. The final results that have been illustrated to ESA and to the supporting Space Industries in presentation meetings organized locally and at ESTEC on occasion of the closure of the yearly activities, are briefly recalled. These Projects have encountered the up-most appreciation of the space experts that have participated to the design reviews and to the final presentations. In particular the Space Industries, appreciating the work done, have always expressed interest and support to the initiative, leading to the recruitment of several students. Nevertheless the initiative still suffers of some difficulties in reaching the expected level of European recognition and in performing the original, much more ambitious functions to help fostering the European interests for Space Exploration creating the bases for a wide-spread culture more attentive and interested to the problems of the Solar System Exploration, a decision that one day the young generations will have to face. The paper illustrates and discusses both the positive and the less positive situations and experiences accumulated over three years of intense activities.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
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