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Space Group Newsletter Feb 2014

Ecsite Space Group Newsletter Vol. 3 February 2014

Welcome to yet another exciting instalment of Ecsite Space Group newsletter – the forum of science centres, museums and space professionals across Europe working to communicate the wonders of space.

We hope you’ve had a successful start to 2014 – the European Space Agency’s 50th anniversary. We’re very pleased to share the latest news from your friends from across Europe. Would you like to share information about your events, exhibitions, projects or great resources with the Space Group? It only takes two seconds, simply contact michaela.livingstone@sciencecentres.org.uk by 28 April 2014.

Steering committee updates

Report from latest Space Group Meeting On January 27th 2014, Parque de las Ciencias (Granada, Spain) hosted the annual Ecsite Space Group meeting. The Space Group is composed of science centres, science museums, planetariums, companies and space agencies and industries, all united by a common commitment towards space science communication and public engagement in space science. It is one of the four Ecsite – the European network of science centres and museums – thematic groups and is supported by the European Space Agency (ESA).

Delegates from the whole of Europe gathered to discuss the latest highlights of space science and trigger new projects and collaborations. They reviewed the state of the Hook-up with Rosetta campaign, an on-going communication campaign for science centres and museums on ESA’s Rosetta mission, involving exhibitions, events and educational activities. Getting prepared for the Ecsite Conference 2014 in The Hague, delegates planned workshops and sessions in order to foster partnerships and exchanges related to space during this major European science communication conference.

Updates from members New Website: Enjoy Space With the space news website enjoyspace.com, the Cité de l’espace is continuing its public outreach mission regarding space outside the boundaries of its Toulouse Park. The articles and videos are made in a way so that most of the people are going to be able to understand space news, even if this is a completely new topic to them (available in French and English). It is also a way to show that if space has of course already a strong history, it is also a subject where something interesting is happening everyday! So, it gives the Cité de l’espace a very “up to date” image and thanks to Enjoy Space, journalists and media use and show the park as a reference when seeking information about space news. Contact: Oliver Sanguy Read More…

PLACES: Black Rock Observatory, Ireland Blackrock Castle – Ireland’s hub for Space Science is offering an open invitation to the community to come visit them and explore Cosmos at the Castle and partnerships. You can read their blog on PLACES – they hope to meet some of you in Bremen. Contact: < ahref=“mailto:Clair.McSweeney@bco.ie”>Claire McSweeney

Funding: Horizon 2020 COMPET 10 The H2020-LEIT-Space-Competitiveness of the European Space Sector-2014 call deadline is 26 March 2014. The call seeks to use raise awareness, inspire and motivate young people to take and interest in space and ultimately attract more students to opt for careers in the area. Full details for this call can be found on the European Commission website.

Hook-up with Rosetta On 20 January 2014, after 957 days of hibernation in deep space, ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft successfully woke up en route to the destination it has been travelling towards for nearly a decade. Now it is steadily moving closer to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and on approaching the nucleus will dispatch Philae, the first ever lander to investigate the surface of a comet. Rosetta’s main objective is to study the physical and chemical properties of a comet and the composition of the dust grains and frozen gases that have survived since the Solar System was formed. The Ecsite Space Group in collaboration with ESA are producing a campaign to run alongside the Rosetta mission, which will involve the creation and sharing of resources to support education activities, exhibitions and events to open up the mission for a variety of audiences.

Read about the campaign find out how you can take part.

Rosetta Exhibition An exhibit comprised of panels and interactive devices is being developed.

  • A free kit with 2D files to download, drawings and instructions for a simple exhibit, e.g. ‘Zoom in on the comet’ and ‘dock with the comet’. They will be adaptable, meaning you can add text in your own language. Available April 2013.
  • Kit+ – A kit to buy that will include a virtual immersive exploration of the solar system, u sing simple puzzles and a vieo game, simulating the Rosetta Mission. Available May 2014.

ESA have made some exhibition panels which you can download and print for free. They are also releasing short ‘teaser’ videos on their in the run-up to the Rosetta wake-up.

Rosetta events Rosetta successfully awoke on January 20th after 957 days of deep space hibernation. Across Europe the public were invited to join mission scientists and engineers with the nail-biting suspense.

A number of centres linked up to the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, including Cité de l’espace in Toulous, France, the Pavilion of Knowledge in Lisbon, Portugal, and Parque de las Ciencias in Granada, Spain.

Hundreds of students attended these events from across their respective countries; more than 500 alone at < ahref=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d8X4SOr6Yc”>Parque de las Ciencias. Events included talks and panel discussions, live video link-ups, workshops, and more! Parque de las Ciencias developed a number of hands-on activities to accompany their event. Contact Carmen Guerra for more details.

You can also take a look at photos of what happened, as it happened, from the European Space ESOC in Darmstadt.

At the Black Rock Observatory in Ireland in association with the European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO Ireland) and Tyndall National Institute, joined people all around the world to take part in the European Space Agency’s Wake Up Rosetta event. They hosted a live link up with other venues, carried out comet demonstrations, presented a bespoke planetarium shows, and Q&As with scientists and engineers. For full details contact Claire McSweeney.

…And many more events!

There will be a number of other milestones to link events to as Rosetta edges closer and rendezvous with Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and ultimately lands Philae in November this year. Follow Rosetta’s progress via ESA’s dedicated mini-site. You can also get information from your ESA country desk.

Education Resources – time capsule A one-hour workshop, designed to be delivered in both science centres and classrooms, targeted for students aged 8-12 years, has been designed by NEMO science centre in the Netherlands. It’s currently being piloted and will be available April 30. It uses ‘time capsules’ to represent how Rosetta will help us understand the formation of our solar system by visiting 67P.

And more…

Tweet the group! #EcsiteSpace

Would you like to share information about your events, exhibitions, projects or great resources with the Space Group? It only takes two seconds, simply contact michaela.livingstone@sciencecentres.org.uk by 28 April 2014.

Michaela Livingstone Communications Liaison Ecsite Space Group

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The Space Group

The Space Group improves and extends communication about space science by helping science centres, space professionals and non-specialists to develop collaborative projects and events.