Welcome to the latest issue of the Ecsite Space Group newsletter. The Space Group is a forum of science centres, museums and space professionals across Europe working to communicate the wonders of space. Wishing you all seasonal greetings, and a fantastic start to 2014!
Would you like to share information about your events, exhibitions, projects or great resources with the Space Group? It only takes two seconds, simply contact michaela.livingstone@sciencecentres.org.uk or by fill out this online form.
Steering committee updates
- Next meeting: 27 January, Parque de las Ciencias, Granada, Spain
- The session proposed for Ecsite 2014 was accepted, See you there!
- Read newsletter volume 1
Updates from members Resource: Space Comic The Eurpean Commision has made a comic to engage youngsters in space science, and to outline the role of space technology. It’s called “All U Need Is Space”. The comic is free and available in all 24 EU official languages and is ready to be distributed in museums, schools, etc. Follow the link below to read it online and to find out how you can get it.
National Initiative (UK): National Astronomy Week National Astronomy Week (UK) will take place 1-8th March 2014, timed to allow incredible views of Jupiter and with Mars, Saturn and other objects also visible. Information packs and resources will be freely downloadable from the project’s website.
Contact: naw2014@the-observatory.org Read More…
Paper and Exhibit: How can weightless astronauts be weighed? In introductory physics courses, within the context of studying Newton’s laws, it is common to consider the problem of a body’s “weight” when it is in free fall. The solution shows that the “weight” is zero and this leads to a discussion of the concept of weight. There are permanent free-fall situations such as astronauts in a spacecraft orbiting the Earth, for example, the International Space Station. However, it is important for an astronaut’s health to control any variations in his/her body mass while on the orbiting spacecraft. This paper examines the following scenario: How can astronauts be weighed while in free fall?
MUDIC has an exhibit which can measure mass of a person: http://www.mudic.es/construir-una-balanza-para-condiciones-de-ingravidez/
Contact: mudic@mudic.es Read More…
Hook-up with Rosetta On 20 January 2014, after 957 days of hibernation in deep space, ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft is set to wake up en route to the destination it has been travelling towards for nearly a decade. It will draw steadily closer to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and on approaching the nucleus will dispatch Philae, the first ever lander to investigate the surface of a comet.
Rosetta’s main objective is to study the physical and chemical properties of a comet and the composition of the dust grains and frozen gases that have survived since the Solar System was formed.
The Ecsite Space Group in collaboration with ESA are producing a campaign to run alongside the Rosetta mission, which will involve the creation and sharing of resources to support education activities, exhibitions and events to open up the mission for a variety of audiences. Read about the campaign find out how you can take part.
Rosetta Exhibition An exhibit comprised of panels and interactive devices is being developed:
- A free kit with 2D files to download, drawings and instructions for a simple exhibit, e.g. ‘Zoom in on the comet’ and ‘dock with the comet’.
- Kit+ – A kit to buy that will include a virtual immersive exploration of the solar system and a serious video game, simulating the Rosetta Mission.
ESA have made some exhibition panels that you can download and print for free. They are also releasing short ‘teaser’ videos on their YouTube channel in the run-up to the Rosetta wake-up.
Rosetta events A set of four participative events in 2014 following the key moments of the Rosetta mission will be arranged. For example, Parque de las Ciencias’ Rosetta Day will have a live link via web streaming with the Rosetta control operation centre , workshops, planetarium shows, videos showing the expert´s opinion and the “Rosetta license”. All the visitors will receive a card with some sections related to the Rosetta mission milestones. Every time they participate in one activity they will have their card stamped. At the end, the person who gets all the stamps will receive a nice goodie.
Education Resources – time capsule Resources to support science centres and teachers to deliver a one hour workshop will be developed based on the concept of a time capsule to represent the development of our solar system with links to how the Rosetta mission will help us learn more about the solar system’s evolution. A European-wide competition will also be set to seek out the best student-created time capsules.
And more…
- ESA’s Rosetta playlist on YouTube
- Rosetta Wake Up! Contest on Facebook
- Seasonal greetings from ESA
- Watch ESA’s highlights from 2013 and preview of 2014
- Gaia blasts off
- Mars Express heading towards daring Phobos fly-by
- Christmas in Space
Tweet the group! #EcsiteSpace
Would you like to share information about your events, exhibitions, projects or great resources with the Space Group? It only takes two seconds, simply contact michaela.livingstone@sciencecentres.org.uk or by fill out this online form.
The next newsletter will be going out on 27 Feb 2014.
See you in 2014!
Michaela Livingstone Communications Liaison Ecsite Space Group