Andrew Yee[_1_]
June 12th 08, 02:57 PM
ESA News
http://www.esa.int
10 June 2008
Fly Your Thesis! -- An Astronaut Experience
Calling all European students! ESA's Education Office is offering the
flights of a lifetime with the launch of a new programme called "Fly Your
Thesis! -- An Astronaut Experience".
This exciting programme will enable university students to fly their
experiments in microgravity by participating in a series of parabolic
flights on an Airbus A300 Zero-G aircraft.
"Fly Your Thesis!" requires each team of students to design a scientific
experiment to be performed in microgravity, as part of their Masters thesis,
PhD thesis or research programme. Teams should register on ESA Education's
Project Portal and upload their outline proposals using the Letter of Intent
template, by the deadline of 31 August 2008.
A Review Board will then select up to 20 teams, who will be invited to
elaborate a detailed scientific proposal, with the support of a scientific
mentor. As a conclusion to this phase, the teams will present their projects
to a Review Board during a dedicated workshop to be held at ESA's European
Space Technology and Research Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
The members of those teams will also be given the opportunity to visit the
European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Germany, where Europe's astronauts are
trained.
After this initial workshop, three or four teams will be selected to further
develop and perform their experiment on an ESA Microgravity Research
Campaign that will take place in Bordeaux, France, during the autumn of
2009. There, the student teams will work in close contact with renowned
European Scientists carrying out their own research. During the Campaign,
the students will accompany their experiments on board for three flights of
30 parabolas, experiencing about 20 seconds of microgravity during each
parabola.
Some of the other teams attending the ESTEC workshop may be selected to have
their experiments performed in another gravity research facility.
During the "Fly Your Thesis!" project, the participating teams will be
supported by the ESA Education Office, ESA microgravity experts and members
of the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA). ESA will offer
financial support to cover part of the cost of the experiments, necessary
travel and accommodation, and participation in a conference.
For more information:
Dr. Javier Ventura-Traveset
Head of ESAC Communications & Education Office
Phone: +34 91 813 1181
E-mail: Javier.Ventura @ esa.int
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMYPQUG3HF_index_1.html ]
http://www.esa.int
10 June 2008
Fly Your Thesis! -- An Astronaut Experience
Calling all European students! ESA's Education Office is offering the
flights of a lifetime with the launch of a new programme called "Fly Your
Thesis! -- An Astronaut Experience".
This exciting programme will enable university students to fly their
experiments in microgravity by participating in a series of parabolic
flights on an Airbus A300 Zero-G aircraft.
"Fly Your Thesis!" requires each team of students to design a scientific
experiment to be performed in microgravity, as part of their Masters thesis,
PhD thesis or research programme. Teams should register on ESA Education's
Project Portal and upload their outline proposals using the Letter of Intent
template, by the deadline of 31 August 2008.
A Review Board will then select up to 20 teams, who will be invited to
elaborate a detailed scientific proposal, with the support of a scientific
mentor. As a conclusion to this phase, the teams will present their projects
to a Review Board during a dedicated workshop to be held at ESA's European
Space Technology and Research Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
The members of those teams will also be given the opportunity to visit the
European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Germany, where Europe's astronauts are
trained.
After this initial workshop, three or four teams will be selected to further
develop and perform their experiment on an ESA Microgravity Research
Campaign that will take place in Bordeaux, France, during the autumn of
2009. There, the student teams will work in close contact with renowned
European Scientists carrying out their own research. During the Campaign,
the students will accompany their experiments on board for three flights of
30 parabolas, experiencing about 20 seconds of microgravity during each
parabola.
Some of the other teams attending the ESTEC workshop may be selected to have
their experiments performed in another gravity research facility.
During the "Fly Your Thesis!" project, the participating teams will be
supported by the ESA Education Office, ESA microgravity experts and members
of the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA). ESA will offer
financial support to cover part of the cost of the experiments, necessary
travel and accommodation, and participation in a conference.
For more information:
Dr. Javier Ventura-Traveset
Head of ESAC Communications & Education Office
Phone: +34 91 813 1181
E-mail: Javier.Ventura @ esa.int
[NOTE: Images and weblinks supporting this release are available at
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMYPQUG3HF_index_1.html ]