An "All-Girl-Team" at the Moonbuggy Race is a novelty - it will come! 2009 was the moon year (Apollo11, Luna 2, Lcross-Impact, Ares1X). The big goal is in sight. 2011 is the human spaceflight year (50 years Gagarin/Shepard). In Leipzig (Germany), the 12 to 19 year old students from Germany, Indonesia and Hungary are preparing for the NASA Moonbuggy Race in April 2010. Most beautiful are the 8 girls from Hungary - this next generation of youngsters need no big boys to be future engineers.

Success 2009:


With their participation now in its 4th year, the German Team want to get to the top 3 in the demanding construction competition. Ten international awards and a 6th prize runner up in the international time score are not enough, although the German students lead the international league three years running as the first non-US and the only European team. Now they are trailblazers and invite the other european countries. “It is a special responsibility for us and a great heritage.” In summer and late fall 2009 they traveled more than 8000 miles with their Moonbuggy and made presentations in more than 10 countries.

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Moonbuggy as CAD-fullversion: It's do or die now. at stake are five cutting edge Moonbuggies which are part of a mini-series for polytechnic working groups in european schools. This initiative aims to offer early possibilities for development of visionary innovations in space business, automotive engineering, environmental technology, satellite navigation, handworks, management - and of course: the first stage to the NASA Moonbuggy Race.

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Fall 2009:

For this cause, 11 students sacrificed their autumn holidays. There was no time to chill out and relax, but everyone had fun. The program of the International Space Education Institute only foresaw one weekend for spending time with the family. Aside from that, it was back to school - in English - for 16 hands-on seminars, tinkering in the workshop, training and exercise, 8 visits to engine manufacturers led by expert guides, and a qualifying examination for the Chamber of Handicraft.
photos and movies: klick

The basement: There were two fundamental changes in the educational strategy of the Space Education Institute since its international registration at the district court of Leipzig. Due to its international interests, lessons are delivered exclusively in English, and more attention is devoted to integrity in craft, trade and engineering. This is how a new cooperation with the Chamber of Handicraft Leipzig and the VDI (Association of German Engineers) was developed during these autumn holidays. The VDI offers support to those learning engineering in the area of computer-aided design (CAD), and the Chamber of Handicraft provides training sessions in the educational workshop facilities of the Training and Technology Centre Borsdorf. International chambers of trade shows interess to participate. There is the ESA Business Incubation center in Oberpfaffenhofen (Germany) and the chamber of trade in Hungary. In the area of electronics, radio and sensor technology, the Space Education Institute successfully collaborated with the amateur radio society AATiS. So a independent European network of spaceeducation on international tracks is growing up, currently donated by their founders Yvonne and Ralf Heckel. Both are ambassadors of the Space Camp in Huntsville.

In general, our education efforts continue to be oriented towards international goals in technology, natural sciences and management. The program is designed to develop the creative, resourceful and independent engineer and master craftsman. Spaceflight and multi-nationality serve both as vision and challenge. The only activity that could not be implemented was an excursion to the European ministerial conference on economic affairs in Stirin (close to Prague). Although seminars were planned on the professional future of the young generation in Human Spaceflight, Brussels denied the student editors access to the conference. The board of the Institute acknowledged this attitude as unprecedented amongst all other space-faring nations.


all activities since June 2009: klick
overview since 2005: klick

young rocketeer with an age of 12

However, Philipp (12), a 6th grader from Burgstädt Grammar School, was proud to receive his certificate from the Chamber of Trade and says: "In the 3 years of working in my old study group in Chemnitz, I've never learned as much as I did during these holidays." Philipp achieved success in creating a soldered electronic component, a filed cube and two folded sheet metal boxes. He now knows what a test laboratory is, how to mill a 3D part using a CAD file, and how to turn parts in a lathe. Using a simplified format and explaining in English, he has already passed his knowledge on to an international holiday group at a private Leipzig language school as a team leader during a craft workshop. Philipp passed the Chamber of Trade entrance examination for metal structure, designed for grade 9, with a surprisingly high score. In December 2009 Philip finished his first Moonbuggy pieces and is starting to create a Ares-Rocket CAD-Model. He is dreaming from space - and has an age of Dr. Wernher von Braun as he did the same.

Fotos auf Flickr

International exchange need a simpel roof. The International Space Education Institute has a "Space-Hostel" for their international students. They are members at the Hostelsclub (16.000 hostels in 120 countries). This is a basic for independent student exchange. A annual party in Venice is for motivation and inspiration. At the Pisani Moretta Palace the young folks were celebrated a new time and made hundreds of contacts into the future.

Hostelclub

Fotos auf Flickr

Team Indonesia went out:

After a 3 month work the Moonbuggy Team Indonesia stopped their engagement. The challenge is to hard for three areas: regular school, paperwork for travel and shipping, design a moonbuggy. We wish most success and look forward to a next time.

Fotos auf Flickr

Auf Spurensuche nach dem Sputnik-Vater

Sputnik und NASA haben ihren Ursprung zwischen Ostsee und Thüringer Wald, 66 Jahre Start der ersten Rakete in den Weltraum, 51. Jahre Sputnik-Start, 50 Jahre NASA

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Gleich vier große Jubiläen fallen in den Zeitraum der vergangenen 12 Monate. 50. Jahre Sputnik, 50 Jahre Hündin Laika, 50 Jahre erster US-Satellit „Explorer One“ und 50 Jahre NASA. Vor 66 Jahren flog die erste Rakete in den Weltraum und heute ist die Raumstation ISS bereits seit 10 Jahren im Orbit.