‘Space interest’ on the rise among UAE students
dubai — The US Space Camp is seeing a growing interest from the UAE students who want to learn more about the world outside of planet Earth.
Dr Deborah E. Barnhart, CEO and executive director of the US Space and Rocket Centre, said that each year there has been about 500 students from the UAE who enrol in the camp based in Alabama.
She said the UAE figure is on a rise following the country’s large amount of interest and investments in the space industry.
The camp offers a five-day education programme on space, where students can work as a team to complete missions, build rockets and learn more about the challenges faced by astronauts in space.
“We want to try and inspire children about areas where they can study in science and technology, not necessarily just to be an astronaut, but where they can find their own place,” Barnhart said.
She said that team building is essential at the space camp, which receives 50,000 students from all around the world who stay for one It’s not play camp, it’s from 7am to about 9pm, so it’s very serious.” Dr Deborah E. Barnhart,
CEO and executive director of the US Space and Rocket Centre
night or more. The camp offers a week-long stay, where students can also build rockets.
“What they do when they come to the space camp is they make teams and they have a mission together during the week. So, they’re training along the way for their mission. They are learning the background, the history and technology of space. They build rockets and launch them. They learn about thermal conditions of coming in an out and they train together,” she said.
“Some of the students are in mission control, some are outside the orbit, some are doing spacewalks and are in their space suits.”
Barnhart said that the students receive problems and anomalies which astronauts face when they are in space.
She said they produce solutions for the problems, which helps them learn about space challenges and enhance their problem-solving skills while working in a team.
“It’s not play camp, it’s from 7am to about 9pm, so it’s very serious,” she said.
The Dubai-based Compass International firm is the space camp’s regional partner and helps bring in students from this region. Barnhart said that Compass has been assisting them for more than 10 years.
They are showcasing their work at this year’s Think Science Fair at the World Trade Centre.