Scouts connect with astronauts
Learners get glimpse of life on space station
STAFF REPORTER
WHAT’S your favourite food in space? How do you sleep? How do you dodge space debris? If there are no police in space, what happens if you commit a crime there?
These were a few of the questions asked by earthbound scouts and answered by NASA astronaut, Drew Morgan, aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during an in-flight educational video interaction, sponsored by South African educational specialists, I-innovate, last week.
Fifty South African scouts attending the World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, US, were among 300 scouts who had a 20-minute live space-toearth connection, known as a “downlink”, between the scouts and NASA astronauts in space.
I-innovate enabled the ISS downlink as part of its international science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) work, a programme to inspire learners to pursue these subjects and develop 21st century skills for the future workforce.
“The experience the scouts had of being able to ask questions of an astronaut on the ISS, at the frontiers of human advancement, cannot be under-estimated,” said Andrew Tanner, the chief commissioner of Scouts South Africa.
NASA astronaut, Greg Johnson, at the Jamboree said: “The ISS is one of the greatest engineering accomplishments of our civilization. Today scouts from around the world have come together to get a glimpse into life on the Station and speak directly to a STEAM professional in space. These international programmes with I-innovate activate the innate curiosity of young peoples. They foster discovery through real-world experiences and prepare them with the competencies that are necessary in the 21st century.”
Last year I-innovate connected learners and educators in Cape Town and Joburg to the ISS when they were part of a live research experiment in their classrooms.
This project, called the Exolab involved students using advanced technology to launch a plant-based experiment on a Spacex rocket and monitor the effects of microgravity on living things in a classroom growth chamber and on the Space Station.
They worked alongside scientists, researchers and astronauts to share their findings and participate in the earth-to-space research experiment through a live-stream and online learning platform.