The Brussels "ZERO-G" Experience in Parabolic Flights: a New Educational Approach in Secondary Schools of the Region of Brussels

Abstract

An educational initiative was taken in 2000 by the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium, to promote awareness of science and technology studies and careers amongst students of secondary schools of the Brussels Region. This initiative, called 'Operation Ishango', is a multifold approach of which two are presented here. The first one consists in a series of conference in secondary schools given by one of the authors. These conferences address the science and technology aspects of space research in general and of microgravity research on board the International Space Station (ISS) in particular, emphasizing the passion and interest to work in the science and technology fields. The second one, launched in November 2002, is a contest open to school students of the last two years of the secondary cycle. Following the approach of the Education Office of the European Space agency (ESA) organizing yearly an international contest at European level for microgravity experiments proposed by university students, students of secondary schools of the Brussels Region were invited to submit experiment proposals to be performed during the 6th ESA Student parabolic flight campaign of July 2003 on board the ESA-CNES Airbus A300 'Zero-G'. The five selected student teams accompanied by their Science teacher performed themselves their Copyright © 2003 by the International Astronautical Federation. All rights reserved. experiments in microgravity during two flights of 30 parabolas each. This paper presents the secondary school conference cycle, the 'Zero-G' parabolic flight contest, the selected experiments, with preliminary results, and some student reactions.