Astro Pi

What is the European AstroPi challenge?

The European Astro Pi Challenge is an ESA Education project run in collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It offers students and young people the amazing opportunity to conduct scientific investigations in space by writing computer programs that run on our two Astro Pi’s - special Raspberry Pi computers aboard the International Space Station (ISS). These Astro Pi computers come with a set of sensors that can sense the ISS’s environment and detect movement. They are equipped with a different kind of camera; one has an infrared camera, and the other has a standard visible spectrum camera.

The Astro Pi challenge is divided in two separate missions featuring different levels of complexity: Mission Zero and Mission Space Lab.

MISSION ZERO

Mission Zero offers participants up to 14 years old the chance to have their first code run in space on the ISS! Teams write a simple program to display a message to astronauts onboard.

MISSION SPACE LAB

Mission Space Lab offers participants up to 19 years old the chance to have their scientific experiment run on the ISS. The challenge is to design and program a scientific experiment to be run on an Astro Pi computer.

Who can participate?

Participation is open to team of 2 to 4 students, followed by a teacher or mentor, from ESA Member States, Canada, Slovenia and Malta.

For more information and full participation details, please visit astro-pi.org

CanSat

What is a CanSat?

A CanSat is a simulation of a real satellite, integrated within the volume and shape of a soft drink can. This minimal volume should fit all major subsystems found in a satellite, such as power, sensors, and a communication system.
It should weigh between 300 and 350 grams, and cost less that 500€ to produce.

What is the European CanSat competition?

The challenge is for school students to design a CanSat, select its mission, integrate the components, test it, prepare it for launch, and then collect and analyse the data.
To carry out its mission, the CanSat is either launched by a rocket to an altitude up to a kilometre, or dropped from a platform or captive balloon. The mission is to carry out scientific experiments and achieve a safe landing.  

Who can apply?

Participation is open to teams of 4 to 6 secondary school students aged between 14 and 19. At least fifty per cent of the team members should be citizens of an ESA Member States1, Canada, Slovenia and Malta.  

The winning teams of the national CanSat competitions endorsed by ESA are automatically granted a place at the European CanSat competition.  

Find out more at https://www.cansatverseny.hu or contact [email protected].

Climate Detective

What is the Climate Detectives project?

Climate detectives is an ESA education project where teams of students are called to ‘make a difference’: identify a local climate problem, investigate it by using satellite images, take measurements on the ground, and then propose a way to monitor or mitigate it. All participating teams will then share their findings on the project sharing platform (climatedetectives.esa.int) with the additional objective of building a sense of community among student teams and teachers from different countries.

Meet the scientists!

At key phases of the project, real experts in the field of Earth observation and climate support the teams by giving feedback on their investigation plan via email and during an online ‘ask the scientist’ event.

Who can participate?

Participation is open to teams of student aged 8-15 from an ESA Member State, Canada, Malta and Slovenia. Teams must be supported by a teacher and must include at least 6 students up to a whole class.

How to apply?

Participation is open to teams of student aged 8-15 from an ESA Member State, Canada, Malta and Slovenia. Teams must be supported by a teacher and must include at least 6 students up to a whole class.

Mission X

What is Mission X: train like an astronaut?

Mission X is an international educational challenge that encourages students to train like an astronaut by completing physical and scientific activities. Lead by ESA Education and the UK Space Agency, and facilitated by the ESERO network, Mission X uses the excitement of space exploration to inspire students to learn about science, nutrition, exercise, and space!

Mission X: Walk to the Moon Challenge

Teams of students must complete activities to earn points and help the Mission X mascots walk to the Moon. Two sets of hands-on classroom activities support the challenge: physical activities, which help students develop strength, endurance, coordination, and spatial awareness; and scientific activities which focus on STEM subjects and allow students to practice scientific reasoning and teamwork. The activities have been developed with space scientists and fitness professionals working with astronauts and space agencies across the world.  

Who can participate?

Mission X is open worldwide and students can register through a national registration system, accessible through the Mission X website. While targeted to students aged 8-12, the activities can be easily adapted to suit other ages.

The challenge runs annually from January to May.  

For more information and full participation details, please visit: Mission X – Train Like an Astronaut

Moon Camp

What is the Moon Camp Challenge?

Moon Camp is an education project run in collaboration between ESA and the Airbus Foundation, in partnership with Autodesk. It uses innovative learning technologies to challenge students to design their own Moon settlement with a 3D modelling tool (Tinkercad or Fusion 360). Teams first have to develop a number of scientific interdisciplinary experiments to explore the extreme environment of space and understand how astronauts could live on the Moon. Then they have to design their Moon Camp, which should be adapted to the Moon environment, consider the use of local resources and provide protection and living and working facilities for the astronauts. Moon Camp is divided in three separate categories featuring different levels of complexity: Moon Camp Discovery, Moon Camp Explorers and Moon Camp Pioneers.

Moon Camp Discovery (beginners):

Teams design one component of the Moon Camp using Tinkercad. Once they upload their design, they will receive a Moon Camp participation certificate. Open for students up to 19 years old, but recommended to 6 to 14 years old.

Moon Camp Explorers (intermediate):

Using Tinkercad, teams design the complete Moon Camp and submit their report to an expert jury. Participating teams will compete for the Moon Camp Explorers Prize for best project. For students up to (and including) 14 years old.

Moon Camp Pioneers (advanced):

Using Fusion 360, teams design the complete Moon Camp and submit their report to an expert jury. Participating teams will compete for the Moon Camp Pioneers Prize for best project. For students 15 to (and including) 19 years old.

Who can participate?

Participation is open worldwide to teams of students aged up to 19 years old. Teams must be comprised of a minimum of 2 up to a maximum of 6 students and must be supported by a teacher or educator. Moon Camp Discovery can also be done at home by individuals supported by their parents.

For more information and full participation details, please visit: www.mooncampchallenge.org