Experience and impact of the Aerospace Engineering Group (GIA) of the Universidad de Costa Rica for the university community as to the development of the aerospace industry in Costa Rica

Paper number

IAC-22,E1,IPB,13,x72372

Author

Dr. Leonora de Lemos, Costa Rica, Universidad de Costa Rica

Year

2022

Abstract

Our Aerospace Engineering Group (GIA, for its acronym in Spanish) was founded in 2014. We are a
group of professors and students from the Faculty of Engineering at Universidad de Costa Rica; among
other programs, mainly from the School of Mechanical Engineering. The group was formed in response to
the need of our university community to have a common place to do research, and to share and develop
information and experiences related to Aerospace Engineering. In Costa Rica, this is an emerging industry.
We believe in the importance of our university being part of this economic and industrial development,
and consider that everything related to space naturally represents an inspiration and a very high interest
for most of engineering students. At the beginning, we organized two Aerospace Camps, in 2015 and
2016, respectively. Both events were extraordinarily rewarding experiences for both the participants and
staff students and professors. For these activities, we invited international speakers, most of them Costa
Ricans working at or related to NASA, rocketry experts, and aerospace industry experts. During the
whole camp time, participants could attend their presentations and could share closely with our guest
speakers. As a result, we achieved to consolidate a group of people working in projects related with
aerospace engineering, rocketry, and CubeSats, participating in different competitions, like Mission Idea
Contest, developing various undergraduate projects, and participating in IAC, among other things. One
of the most valuable experiences is the participation in activities with other national organizations, such
as the Ministry of Science and Technology, which aim at motivating elementary school and high school
students to engage in STEM areas. Some of the activities were specifically for women in STEM; students
of GIA were leaders in that regard. With this paper, I will explain the various activities in which we,
as Group, have participated, and the impact that our participation is having in developing the field of
Aerospace Engineering and the aerospace industry in Costa Rica, and in the participant’s personal and
professional development.

Abstract document

IAC-22,E1,IPB,13,x72372.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-22,E1,IPB,13,x72372.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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