Classroom scientists shoot for space
Thursday, January 17. 2008
Competition is hotting up as young students throughout the UK start work on their bid for the BNSC funded Space Experiment competition. The basic idea is to create an experiment that fits into a 10cm X 10 cm X 10 cm box. The student that wins will get expert help from SSTL and an astronomical £100,000 to support their efforts. If that sounds good, here's the best bit
The winning experiment will be flown on-board a real SSTL satellite in space.
Baffled? Cautious? Visit the Space Experiment website and get some ideas flowing.
Initial proposals are due in by the end of February so if you haven't entered already - get your skates on! If you are a parent or teacher and you know students that have a passion for science and technology - get your teenage students involved.
For those of you who missed our Space Experiment blog, here's some more details... and hopefully inspiration.
Why encourage more students to study science and engineering?
There has been a worrying decline in the number of students studying mathematics, science, engineering and technology subjects. The proof is evidenced by a 30% decrease in physics, a 25% decrease in mathematics, and a 19% decrease in chemistry entries at A level between 1991 and 2003. These are some of the most practical and strategically important subjects and could lead to skills gaps in industry, the risks to Britain’s economic success and a threat to Britain’s’ international reputation as a leader in science research. Source: Lord May, President of the Royal Society testimony to the Parliamentary Scientific Committee in May 2004.
School children find science and mathematics dull and difficult and do not see its relevance in their lives. Source; SET for Success Report for Sir Gareth Roberts Review for HM Treasury.
Why space and not something more ...practical?
Britain has a thriving space industry adds £7 billion to the British economy each year and supports 70,000 jobs, not just in the space research institutes and higher profiles but also in the vital high tech engineering companies that supply parts and technologies for use in space.
Space is one of the highest skilled workforces in the Britain and the technologies developed for satellites and missions to other planets can benefit the whole engineering sector, both in terms of available skills and also the creation of new technologies. Some of these technologies are "space-enabled". For example, Britain leads the world in global mobile satellite communications, earth observation, space enabled creative industries and in planetary science.
Space is key to sustainable development and can be used to map sea temperature changes, provide communications in the case of disaster relief and open up new opportunities in healthcare and new energy sources.
