“Hanwha Space Hub announced on the 22nd that it has completed the selection of 30 final participants for the space education program ‘Asteroid of the Universe’ jointly developed with KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) and will begin the 3rd phase of education.
‘Asteroid of the Universe’ is an experiential space education program targeting middle school 1st and 2nd graders interested in space. Following ‘Moon Exploration’ in 2022 and ‘Mars Exploration’ in 2023, this year’s theme is ‘Space Technology for the Future of Earth.’ With 1144 students applying for the 30 spots, a competition ratio of 38 to 1 was recorded.
Students submitted essays containing creative ideas such as ‘Greenhouse Gas Trap Using Nano Particles’ and ‘Analysis of Space Debris Distribution Using the Principles of Baduk (Korean Chess).’ Evaluators including KAIST aerospace engineering professors selected final participants based on the evaluation of essays and interviews assessing applicants’ passion, creativity, logic, and more regarding space.
The 3rd phase students will participate in a systematic space education program led by KAIST aerospace engineering professors and mentors with master’s and doctoral degrees until the end of the year starting from the ‘Space Humanities Conference’ held on the 20th.
The Space Humanities Conference, hosted by science communicator ‘GyoDo,’ features lectures by speakers including Professor Kim Sang-wook from Kyung Hee University’s Department of Physics, Jang Dong-seon, CEO of Curious Brain Research Institute, Professor Jung Jae-seung from KAIST’s Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, and Dr. Son Sang-mo who participated in the development of the James Webb Space Telescope. Through the humanities conference, students have the opportunity to cultivate philosophical and humanistic knowledge as important as knowledge about space.
Students who complete the ‘Asteroid of the Universe’ program will receive a certificate of completion from the KAIST President, opportunities to attend classes at the KAIST Gifted Education Center, mentoring from KAIST, and benefits such as visits to NASA in the United States.
A representative from Hanwha Space Hub stated, ‘We will provide a systematic education program to help students with dreams in space turn those dreams into reality and contribute to strengthening Korea’s future space competitiveness.’
[Image Description: Dr. Son Sang-mo from the James Webb Space Telescope Research Institute giving a lecture at the ‘Asteroid of the Universe’ Space Humanities Conference held at the Hanhwa Building in Janggyo-dong, Seoul on the 20th. Image provided by Hanwha Aerospace]”