Brazilian Students Make Presentation at Nasa and Send Experiment to Space

06/29/2018 - 12h34

Five students between 13 and 15, from schools Dante Alighieri, Projeto Âncora and Escola Municipal Perimetral, in Sao Paulo, were the first group of Brazilians to present an experiment which will be sent to the International Space Station (ISS), in an annual event held by the American government in partnership with Nasa.

	Divulgación
	Brazilian children make a 3D printing experiment to be tested in the International Space Station

The Space Experiment Program for Students was created 12 years ago, but no country outside North America had ever participated in the program.

In English, the Brazilians told Nasa how the experiment works; they will send a vial containing a compound made of cement and green plastic powder to space. Depending on its resistance under microgravity, it may be an alternative for the construction of human colonies outside Earth.

The winning team competed against 72 groups of Brazilians aged between 12 and 14. Three projects were sent to Nasa, only one was selected.

After the experiment was chosen in December 2017, students began to organize their trip. They had English classes and received contributions to help pay for their tickets.

The possibility of creating new space engineers is real among the group, and the results of their research can already be felt in the classroom.

In July, Mission Garatéa, which developed the project in partnership with the schools, will issue a public notice for the next edition of the contest. Schools from all over the country are welcome to participate.

Translated by ANA BEATRIZ DEMARIA

Read the article in the original language