TY - GEN
T1 - StarLeap
T2 - 2024 IAF Space Education and Outreach Symposium at the 75th International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2024
AU - Delgado, Carlos Rodríguez
AU - Carvajal-Godinez, Johan
AU - del Barco León, María Fernanda
AU - Alas, Mauricio Rodríguez
AU - Sánchez, Esteban Jiménez
AU - Villegas, Giancarlo Vargas
AU - Trabolsi, Mark
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 International Astronautical Federation, IAF. All rights reserved.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - StarLeap is an educational initiative jointly developed by the Space Systems Laboratory (SETEC Lab) of the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (ITCR) and Orbital Space Technologies (OST) with the goal of making quality space education available to emerging space nations. With its first edition taking place in Costa Rica. The StarLeap initiative is aimed at high school students ages 15 to 17 and consists of a 10-week program of 2 hours of theory imparted by experts in the area and 2 hours of practice modules targeting different aspects of space mission design that culminate with the launch of an actual micro-gravity experiment designed by the students on board of a Suborbital Flight. The topics covered during the course include: an introduction to astronautics, space mission design, science in space, programming for space applications, electronics design for space experiments, telemetry, mechanical design, systems engineering and an assembly workshop. The initiative is designed so that it can be scaled up to the level of university students as well. In order to cover the expenses of the course a mixed funding strategy was developed, where some of the students pay a quota that covers the materials of the course, and a sponsor covers the rest of the costs. This allows to sponsor a number of students that can not pay for the course. In order to reduce costs and allow the maximum number of students to participate, Orbital Space Technologies offers the hardware for the space flight at a discounted rate, while SETEC Lab offers their installations and equipment in order to impart the modules. This paper will cover the educational methodologies behind the topics and the structuring of the course, the strategies to make quality space education that culminates with an actual space mission accessible to students on emerging space nations and details on the lessons learned from structuring the first iteration of the initiative.
AB - StarLeap is an educational initiative jointly developed by the Space Systems Laboratory (SETEC Lab) of the Costa Rica Institute of Technology (ITCR) and Orbital Space Technologies (OST) with the goal of making quality space education available to emerging space nations. With its first edition taking place in Costa Rica. The StarLeap initiative is aimed at high school students ages 15 to 17 and consists of a 10-week program of 2 hours of theory imparted by experts in the area and 2 hours of practice modules targeting different aspects of space mission design that culminate with the launch of an actual micro-gravity experiment designed by the students on board of a Suborbital Flight. The topics covered during the course include: an introduction to astronautics, space mission design, science in space, programming for space applications, electronics design for space experiments, telemetry, mechanical design, systems engineering and an assembly workshop. The initiative is designed so that it can be scaled up to the level of university students as well. In order to cover the expenses of the course a mixed funding strategy was developed, where some of the students pay a quota that covers the materials of the course, and a sponsor covers the rest of the costs. This allows to sponsor a number of students that can not pay for the course. In order to reduce costs and allow the maximum number of students to participate, Orbital Space Technologies offers the hardware for the space flight at a discounted rate, while SETEC Lab offers their installations and equipment in order to impart the modules. This paper will cover the educational methodologies behind the topics and the structuring of the course, the strategies to make quality space education that culminates with an actual space mission accessible to students on emerging space nations and details on the lessons learned from structuring the first iteration of the initiative.
KW - High School Program
KW - STEAM
KW - STEM
KW - Space Education
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105040778955
U2 - 10.52202/078378-0010
DO - 10.52202/078378-0010
M3 - Contribución a la conferencia
AN - SCOPUS:105040778955
T3 - Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC
SP - 73
EP - 80
BT - IAF Space Education and Outreach Symposium - Held at the 75th International Astronautical Congress, IAC 2024
PB - International Astronautical Federation, IAF
Y2 - 14 October 2024 through 18 October 2024
ER -