Estonian Space Schools Network

Tallinn Secondary School of Science is involved in a project called Estonian Space Schools Network along with Väätsa Basic School, Merivälja Basic School, Jõhvi Secondary School, Viljandi Basic School of Jakobson, Pärnu Old Town Basic School, Kanepi Secondary School, Elva Secondary School, Paide Secondary School and Pärnu Ülejõe Basic School.

Summary of the Project

The schools in the Network organize science flights into the stratosphere, create a communications network for monitoring the flights, collect data and experience from the flights and carry out successful and informative tests in the high layers of the atmosphere.

In the course of the Project, students fly helium balloons into the stratosphere and create tracking capabilities, compile a repository of knowledge from flight data, which is used to conduct subsequent flights more successfully, receive data from satellites in orbit and use all of this data in student research papers.

The problem this Project addresses is maintaining interest in Natural Sciences among older students (especially Form 7 to Form 12). While in elementary school it is easy to create interest in simple robotics and experiments in Natural Sciences, in secondary school, teaching Natural Sciences relies heavily on self-discipline and finds no application in real life.

Older students are motivated to work on long-term projects that are highly relevant and productive outside the school. The Space Schools Network aims to create links between designing experiments in the classroom on the one hand and research, entrepreneurship and other schools on the other.

The Space Schools Network is the SpaceX of education. The goal of the Project is not only to fly helium balloons intp the stratosphere but to conduct student research in data communications, atmosphere and remote sensing. The Project rests on the foundation of continuous training and co operation with Estonia’s best space scientists and experts. The purpose of the Network is to help schools establish contact with with high-tech disciplines, participate in international competitions and student research competitions as a proud member of the European Space Agency.

More information (in Estonian):

https://www.facebook.com/eestikosmosekoolidevorgustik/
https://kosmosekoolid.ee/

Supervisors: Ahti Pent, Mart Kuurme