Eos, Vol. 88, No. 15, 10 April 2 0 0 7
M E E T I N G S
University Satellites and Space Science Education
UNIVERSAT-2006: University Satellites and Space Science Education, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 26-30 June 2006
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Global s o c i e t y increasingly is d e p e n d e n t on reliable s p a c e satellite systems that a r e resistant to hazards present in the s p a c e environment. Therefore, it is essential that the present young generation, as well a s future o n e s , b e e d u c a t e d in satellite technol
ogy a s well a s in the s p a c e s c i e n c e s . T h e s e multidisciplinary s u b j e c t s c o v e r a wide range of topics in s c i e n c e , engineering, med
icine, environment, finance, and s o forth. In regard to teaching activities, t h e s e s u b j e c t s offer m a n y unique opportunities, s u c h a s t e a c h i n g students t h e different 'languages' of the various s u b j e c t s s o that later in their c a r e e r s they are better c o m m u n i c a t o r s .
With increasing developments in s p a c e t e c h n o l o g y a better understanding of the link b e t w e e n protection of spacecraft and the s p a c e environment is n e e d e d . Thus, it is essential to improve the quality of traditional space-related e d u c a t i o n a l material, taking into consideration t h e skills required for m o d e r n s p a c e industry and s c i e n c e . This first international symposium on s p a c e edu
cation informed university a n d space-indus
try c o m m u n i t i e s on new initiatives in s p a c e s c i e n c e e d u c a t i o n including student satellite construction and development.
The symposium provided an international platform for attendees to discuss past and present s p a c e educational activities, and to brainstorm new national and international ini
tiatives. Topics covered in oral and poster presentations included s p a c e research in uni
versity education covering near-Earth s p a c e environment and geophysics; heliobiology, ecology, atmospheric s c i e n c e s , and remote sensing; s p a c e technology education; design, development, and m a n a g e m e n t of university satellites; b a s i c s p a c e s c i e n c e s in high s c h o o l ; and cooperation in s p a c e education projects.
S y m p o s i u m highlights i n c l u d e d a visit to t h e S k o b e l t s y n Institute of N u c l e a r P h y s i c s (SINP) S p a c e P h y s i c s P r a c t i c e L a b o r a t o r y , at M o s c o w State University ( M S U ) , a n d a visit to t h e SINP Mission Control C e n t e r w h e r e t h e r e c e i v i n g a n d p r o c e s s i n g o f information from t h e MSU-built satellite 'Universitetskiy' o c c u r s . Universitetskiy w a s l a u n c h e d in J a n u a r y 2 0 0 5 within t h e framework of t h e MSU s p a c e e d u c a t i o n p r o g r a m . On b o a r d t h e satellite is t h e ' T a t y a n a ' s c i e n t i f i c e q u i p m e n t d e v e l o p e d by SINP, w h i c h is i n t e n d e d m a i n l y for studying t h e radiation c o n d i t i o n s in near- E a r t h s p a c e a n d E a r t h ' s a t m o s p h e r e in t h e ultraviolet s p e c t r u m .
In 1957, t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l G e o p h y s i c a l Y e a r ( I G Y ) , a p r o g r a m of i n t e r n a t i o n a l r e s e a r c h , w a s o r g a n i z e d to study g l o b a l p h e n o m e n a of t h e E a r t h a n d g e o s p a c e . It w a s p r o p o s e d to o r g a n i z e in 2 0 0 7 a n inter
national program of scientific c o l l a b o r a t i o n to c o m m e m o r a t e t h e fiftieth a n n i v e r s a r y of IGY, to b e c a l l e d t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Helio- p h y s i c a l Y e a r ( I H Y ) . As with t h e IGY a n d two p r e v i o u s I n t e r n a t i o n a l P o l a r Y e a r s ( i n
1 8 8 2 - 1 8 8 3 a n d 1 9 3 2 - 1 9 3 3 ) , t h e s c i e n t i f i c o b j e c t i v e of t h e IHY is to study p h e n o m e n a o n t h e largest p o s s i b l e s c a l e , with simulta
n e o u s o b s e r v a t i o n s from a b r o a d a r r a y of i n s t r u m e n t s . With t h e c u r r e n t a r r a y of sat
ellites a v a i l a b l e , t h e IHY p r o v i d e s a u n i q u e opportunity to study the c o u p l e d Sun-Earth s y s t e m . A l s o during 2 0 0 7 is t h e fiftieth s e s sion of t h e United Nations C o m m i t t e e o n t h e P e a c e f u l U s e s of Outer S p a c e a n d , of p a r t i c u l a r i m p o r t a n c e for R u s s i a , t h e fifti
eth anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1, which heralded the start of s p a c e exploration.
Given the n e e d for satellite t e c h n o l o g y and s p a c e s c i e n c e t e c h n o l o g y e d u c a t i o n , and several s p a c e anniversaries, the interna
tional c o m m u n i t y h a s m a n y opportunities, s u c h a s the IHY, to participate in the promo
tion of s p a c e s c i e n c e s and student satellites at all e d u c a t i o n a l levels. UNIVERSAT-2006 is a reminder that learning activities should include young p e o p l e a s well a s t h o s e already working in the s p a c e a r e n a .
The full text of this meeting report is repro
duced in the supplement to this Eos edition.
—NORMA B. CROSBY, Belgian Institute for Space Aeron- omy Brussels; E-mail: norma.crosby@oma.be; SERGE KRA- SOTKIN, Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow State University Moscow; and HANS J. HAUBOLD, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs,Vienna.
ABOUT A G U
Outstanding Student Paper Awards
The following members received Outstanding Student Paper Awards at the 2006 AGU Fall Meeting, in San Francisco, Calif Winners in other sections and focus groups will be announced in subsequent issues of Eos.
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Earth and Space Science Informatics Focus Group
Tom Fedenczuk, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology/Hawaii Institute of Geo
physics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Quantitative characterization of topo
graphical features in digital elevation models (DEM) and bathymetry data.
Allison Jacobs, Scripps Institution of Ocean
ography, University of California, San Diego, Visual integration of multidisciplinary datasets for the geo
physical analysis of tectonic processes.
Paul Jensen, University of Minnesota, Minne
apolis, Automatic generation of remote visualiza
tion tools with WATT.
Daniel Ragona, University of California, San Diego, Automated classification and correlation of drill cores using high-resolution hyperspectral images and supervised pattern classification algo
rithms: Applications to paleoseismology.
Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Section
Dario Bilardello, Lehigh University, Bethle
hem, Pennsylvania, An anisotropy based inclina
tion shallowing correction of the Shepody Forma
tion of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and the Deer Lake Group of Newfoundland, Canada.
Thomas Labrat, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, One-dimensional modeling of the geody- namo.
