Innovative outreach activities using the Kosmonauta.net webservice

Paper number

IAC-13,E1,7,1,x18395

Author

Mr. Michal Moroz, kosmonauta.net, Poland

Coauthor

Mr. Krzysztof Kanawka, kosmonauta.net, Poland

Coauthor

Mr. Hubert Bartkowiak, kosmonauta.net, Poland

Coauthor

Mr. Adam Piech, kosmonauta.net, Poland

Coauthor

Mr. Maciej Mickiewicz, kosmonauta.net, Poland

Coauthor

Mr. Szymon Janus, INTERMARUM, Poland

Year

2013

Abstract

The Kosmonauta.net website was founded in 2009 with the aim to become a centerpiece for local space news and analysis in Polish language. Four years later, at the beginning of 2013, more than 5000 articles in Polish and English have been written and more than 50 thousand unique visitors read the site monthly making it the biggest professional space-related website in Poland.

Kosmonauta.net is now an established mark within the region and can use its scope to influence reader knowledge and local policy. This was shown during the accession to ESA in mid-2012, when the  resistance of the Polish ministry of Finance was fought using social media actions. Kosmonauta.net was then a part of the organized community action, which lobbied the government to agree to join ESA. A vast reader base and an active Facebook group of over 1000 supporters was an important part of this accomplishment - since 19th of November 2012 Poland is now the 20th member of the agency.

Kosmonauta.net also tries to employ other methods of informing about the current state of the space industry. Some actions so far have been rarely seen in the regional space sector. For example over the last year and together with the Polish gaming company Intermarum, Kosmonauta.net was working on a game called "Race to Mars". This strategy game is a turn-based commercial space sector simulator, where the player has to develop technologies and compete against other companies on the market. "Race to Mars" is an educational/outreach project and is based on recent development and possible extrapolation of activities of modern space industry. The main intention of the game is to show and teach the interactions of the space economy.

Crowdfunding applications, various software platforms and Kosmonauta.net's social media outreach will be used to spread the word
of the game. This could pave the way for advanced space education of teenagers and inspire more more students to start technical studies. Older players would also learn more on the currents space industry and its challenges.

This presentation aims to present the current status of the actions surrounding the Kosmonauta.net community.

Abstract document

IAC-13,E1,7,1,x18395.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-13,E1,7,1,x18395.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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