This unique Summer School offers an overview of the current research under microgravity and hypergravity conditions in both Life and Physical Sciences, and explains the interest and benefits of performing research and technology demonstrations in altered gravity.
The Summer School will be organised in a blended format: during the first week, university students will attend lectures and workshops at the ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Facility at ESEC-Galaxia (Transinne, Belgium) and in the second week, students will focus on team activities through online sessions from home.
During the Summer School, students will attend stimulating lectures and work in teams to devise ideas for prospective altered gravity experiments. They will learn the impact of altered gravity research, as well as career possibilities in the European space sector.
All trainers are international experts and part of ESA and/or ELGRA, freely sharing their experience and know-how with students, including their day-to-day work and research experience in biology, human physiology, physics and engineering.
Students will be evaluated via a team project and will receive a certificate of participation and a transcript upon completion of the Summer School, allowing them to request ECTS credit(s) from their respective universities.
The team project can also be a first step towards an application for the PETRI Programme.
Preliminary schedule
Week 1 (19 – 23 June 2023)
Day 1 Introduction to ESA, its programmes and opportunities
Introduction to ELGRA and SELGRA
Gravity-related research overview
Gravity and gravity-related research platforms
ESA Education Office and hands-on programmes
Develop a Gravity-Related Experiment
Team Project Introduction
Day 2 Life Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 1
Physical Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 1
Human Physiology Gravity-Related Research Lecture 1
Presentations by Former Student Teams of ESA Academy’s Hands-On Programmes
Team Work
Day 3 Life Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 2
Physical Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 2
Human Physiology Gravity-Related Research Lecture 2
Team Work
Day 4 Life Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 3
Physical Science Gravity-Related Research Lecture 3
Human Physiology Gravity-Related Research Lecture 3
Project Management Workshop
Team Work
Day 5 Systems Engineering and Requirements Definition Workshop
Team Project Topic Pitch
Experience of an ESA Astronaut
Week 2 (26 - 30 June 2023)
Day 6 Team Work
Team Meetings with Tutors
Day 7 Team Work
Day 8-9 Team Work
Team Meetings with Tutors
Day 10 Team Project Presentations
Conclusion
