The 20th International Summer Space School, “Promising Space Technologies and Experiments in Space,” concluded with the presentation of project proposals. The participants included 18 international students and scientists from Brazil, India, Mexico, Peru, Tunisia, Iran, and Lebanon. Upon completion of the program, they received certificates and credentials confirming their professional development.
As is tradition, summer school participants worked in teams to propose solutions for real-world space missions. The students conducted tests at three university centers: the Nanosatellite Flight Control Center, the Nanosatellite Testing Center, and the Nanosatellite Technology Center of the Interuniversity Department of Space Research. Over the course of two weeks, they developed:
In addition, the students attended lectures by leading scientists from Samara University.
Professor Igor Belokonov, head of the Interuniversity Department of Space Research and organizer of the school, told the media how, since 2003, the International Summer Space School has evolved from experiments with tether systems to modern space missions involving nanosatellites and CanSat-format spacecraft measuring just 5 x 5 x 10 cm.
“Traditionally, participants in our school work in teams to propose solutions for real-world space missions. More than 500 nanosatellites are launched worldwide each year—all leading universities are involved in such projects,” explained Igor Belokonov. - We implement these educational programs under the motto ‘learning through research.’ A distinctive feature of this year’s anniversary school was the assembly and launch of a CanSat-format atmospheric spacecraft, built using a kit from the “Space Gradient” club.
The school participants assembled the CanSat from ready-made modules, developed software for it, and carried out a successful launch: a rocket built by the “Space Gradient” club lifted the CanSat to the specified altitude, after which the parachute deployed and the spacecraft landed successfully. Throughout the flight, the onboard transmitter relayed telemetry and mission data, which the School participants received using portable receiving stations. In subsequent sessions, the School participants reconstructed the flight parameters and atmospheric conditions.
"We offer school participants topics that are of interest in terms of future collaboration. For example, we are currently working on transmitting data via optical means using Morse code. Such a device will be visible in the night sky even without special equipment, and anyone familiar with Morse code will be able to read messages transmitted directly from space. We’re also developing a project for a spherical satellite to be launched into ultra-low Earth orbits,” added Igor Belokonov.
Julia Mereles, a sophomore studying space technology at the University of Minas Gerais in Brazil, shared her impressions of working on an international team and getting to know the Russian space program.
The student notes that participating in the educational program gave her the opportunity to gain new experiences and see space technology from a new perspective: “Ever since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by the idea that there is a vast expanse above us about which we know very little. When I grew up, I decided that this was exactly the field I wanted to pursue. I came to Samara, where people understand what space engineering and spacecraft launches are all about. The Space School at Samara State University helped me view such missions as a cohesive whole. I gained truly valuable experience and learned from people whose knowledge I will continue to apply in my future projects. Each participant in the school brings their own knowledge and background, which allows us to consider a project from different angles.”
Rani Parija Smith, Ph.D. in Engineering, teaches at C.V. Raman Global University in India. “We have a small space club and a space station for receiving data from orbit. We came to Samara to gain knowledge in the field of space technology and share it with our students. I am very grateful to the organizers and faculty, especially Professor Igor Vitalievich Belokonov, who have provided us with a wealth of up-to-date information over these past few days. We intend to continue our collaboration with Samara University,” concluded the guest from India.
Egor Musin, an associate professor at Moscow Polytechnic University, has won the Chinese Ambassador to Russia Award in the “Biomedicine” category. The awards ceremony was held at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Russian Federation.
The visit by international partners took place as part of the celebrations marking LETI’s 140th anniversary. The meeting participants discussed opportunities to expand cooperation, increase the number of joint programs, and boost the number of international students.
Through their participation in the academic mobility program, the students gained international experience and the opportunity to work on a real-world case study.
A blog tour aimed at attracting students from Algeria and Indonesia to Russia has kicked off in Tomsk. Journalists and bloggers from these countries are visiting leading Russian universities. The program in Tomsk began with a visit to Tomsk State University. Participants got a glimpse of the modern university environment, met with students, and toured engineering laboratories—including those for chemistry, implant design, and BAS programming, among others.
A delegation from Nanjing University of Science and Technology visited Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University to develop a partnership between the two universities.
