The 30 finalists of the second edition of the “Zero-G Portugal – Astronaut for a Day” initiative, promoted by the Portuguese Space Agency (Portugal Space), have already completed their first parabolic flight experience, where they had the opportunity to experience the sensation of microgravity on board of an Airbus A310 operated by Novespace, which took off from Air Base nº. 11 of the Portuguese Air Force, in Beja.
The flight involves a series of maneuvers on a parabolic trajectory, which begin to be carried out when the plane reaches an altitude above 6,000 meters. For around an hour, 15 parabolas are performed where it is possible to experience a sensation of zero gravity. After all, on this flight young people have the opportunity to experience between five and six minutes of microgravity identical to what astronauts feel when they are in space. This group of young people from primary and secondary education, made up of 20 boys and 10 girls from various parts of the country, included, for the first time, students from the Azores. There were 5 Azorean finalists, 2 from the island of Santa Maria and 3 from Terceira island, selected from more than 500 candidates and after 4 demanding selection phases.
The Government of the Azores, through the Office of the Regional Undersecretary of the Presidency and the Azores Mission Structure for Space, joined the Portuguese Space Agency in disseminating this initiative among the region’s educational community by holding dissemination and awareness sessions in schools, giving expression to the strategy of creating a cultural and educational framework as a foundation for the development of the Azores’ space ecosystem.
Photo credits: Portuguese Space Agency (Portugal Space)
After a selection process that put several skills to the test, 30 young Portuguese students will have the opportunity to make a parabolic flight. For the first time there are candidates from the Azores, Madeira, Beja and Faro.
After four months of elimination rounds, the 30 finalists of the 2nd edition of Zero-G Portugal – Astronauta for a Day were selected. The initiative, promoted by the Portuguese Space Agency, will once again take primary and secondary school students on a parabolic flight aboard the Airbus A310, from the French company Novespace. The flight, departing on September 3, from Air Base No. 11, in Beja, will allow the crew to experience the zero gravity sensation that astronauts feel in Space.
Of the 30 selected participants, 20 are boys and 10 are girls. As for the origin of the finalists, this year’s edition of the initiative registered a greater geographic representation: for the first time, there are finalists coming from the Autonomous Regions of the Azores (3 from Terceira island and 2 from the island of Santa Maria ) and from Madeira, from Faro and Beja, but also Lisbon, Santarém, Aveiro, Braga, Coimbra, Leiria, Braga, Porto and Setúbal.
In terms of distribution by years of schooling, 27 finalists are attending Secondary Education (14 are in the 10th grade; 13, in the 11th grade) and 3 are students in the 3rd cycle of Basic Education (two in the 9th grade , one from the 8th grade).
The Azores Mission Structure for Space participated in the dissemination of this initiative among the Azorean educational community, with the Portuguese Space Agency.
Photo: Portuguese Space Agency
The 1st edition of CanSat Junior Açores took place on the 26th and 27th of May, an organization of the Government of the Azores through the Office of the Regional Undersecretary of the Presidency/EMA-Espaço, Ciência Viva, ESERO Portugal, and the Portuguese Space Agency. For two days, around 100 students from 7 islands lived an unforgettable scientific and technological adventure on the island of Santa Maria, where they tested and analyzed data from their microsatellites launched by a drone.
They were moments of great anxiety but also of great joy, fun, learning and knowledge sharing.
All were winners, but there were 3 teams that stood out:
1st place: “Cagarros” – EBS Santa Maria
2nd place: “SpaceNerds” – ES Domingos Rebelo (São Miguel)
3rd place: “Azores at Space” – ES de Lagoa (São Miguel)
Well done everyone, students and teachers, for your work!
See you next year!
SCHEDULE FOR THE 1st EDITION OF CANSAT JUNIOR AÇORES
HIGHLIGHTS:
SapoTEK: Um satélite pode caber numa lata de refrigerante? CanSat chegou aos Açores e quer ficar
RTP Açores: CanSat Junior Açores
SPACEAZORES: Equipa “Cagarros” obtem 2º lugar na final nacional do CanSat Junior
The Autonomous Region of the Azores, through the Azores Mission Structure for Space (EMA-Space), and its representation in NEREUS (Network of European Regions Using Space Technologies), is part of the SATSDIFACTION project – SATellite data and Spatial Data Infrastructures for an evidence-based regional governance, co-financed by the Interreg Europe program.
This project, which started in March 2023 and runs until May 2027, aims to promote the sharing of experiences and the transfer of knowledge in the field of using satellite data in spatial data infrastructures, at the level local and regional, as a means to improve the implementation of regional public policies.
In addition to the Azores, the partners in this consortium are the European regions of Veneto (Italy), Basilicata (Italy), Podkarpackie (Poland) and Occitanie (France), the Municipality of Riga (Latvia) and the ISSeP – Wallonie (Belgium) and NEREUS Asbl (Belgium).
The participation of the Region as a partner entity of SATSDIFACTION, has several regional stakeholders, namely the Regional Secretariat for Transport, Mobility and Infrastructure (Regional Directorate for Energy), the Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Action and the University of the Azores.
Day 1 | 27.06.2024
09:00 – 09:30 Registration
09:30 – 09:50 Opening session
José Manuel Bolieiro – President of the Azores Government
Paulo Ricardo Quental – Coordinator of the Azores Mission Structure for Space
Federico Bastarolo – Lead Partner of the SATSDIFACTION project (Veneto region)
09:50 – 12:30 Session 1: Energy, environment and climate change (Part 1) – Moderators: Carlo Masetto/Federico Bastarolo
Azorean Energy Strategy – (09:50 – 10:10)Joana Rita– Regional Director of Energy
Renewable Energy Scenario in the Azores – (10:10 – 10:30)Alexandre Pereira – EDA Renováveis, SA
Azores investment in the field of cartography – (10:30 – 10:50)Emanuel Barcelos –Regional Secretariat for Environment and Climate Action
Roadmap for carbon neutrality in the Azores – (10:50 – 11:10)Ana Rodrigues– Regional Director for Environment and Climate Action
The Eastern North Atlantic Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Project – (ENA-ARM) – (11:10 – 11:30)Eduardo Azevedo – Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research and Technologies – University of the Azores
RIS3 Azores 2022-2027 – Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization in Azores – (11:30 – 11:50)Flávio Tiago – Regional Directorate for Science, Innovation and Development
11:50 – 12:00 Q & A
12:00 – 12:30 Interactive session with project partners and experts
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch break
13:30 – 16:10 Session 2: SDI, Earth Observation and Space Infrastructures – Moderator: Margarita Chrysaki
IDE.A – Azores Interactive Spatial Data Infrastructure – (13:30 – 13:50)Ana Moreira – Regional Secretariat for Environment and Climate Action
AIR Centre EO – Direct Receiving Station (DRS) – (13:50 – 14:10)Pedro Silva – AIR Centre
Portugal Space GEO HUB – (14:10 – 14:30)Joan Alabart – Portuguese Space Agency
Using satellite data in ocean research – (14:30 – 14:50)Ana Martins – University of the Azores (OKEANOS)
Santa Maria’s Space Ecosystem – (14:50 – 15:15)João Neves – Thales Edisoft Portugal
15:15 – 15:30 Q & A
15:30 – 16:30 Demo session: Detection of solar panels (stakeholders)
Emanuel Castanho – Air Centre
Steering committee meeting (project partners)16:30 – 17:30 Tasting the Azores Networking | Wrap-up of the first day
Participants and experts networking while tasting some Azorean delicacies.
17:30 – 19:00 Visiting CIVISA – Azores Seismic and Volcanic Information and Surveillance Center – University of the Azores
20:30 Social dinner at Restaurant/Lounge Anfiteatro
Day 2 | 28.06.2024
08:15 Bus departure from Ponta Delgada (Portas da Cidade) to Lagoa do Fogo
09:45 – 11:00 Visiting Ribeira Grande Geothermal Powerplant
11:00 – 12:00 Bus departure to Furnas
12:00 – 15:00 Visiting Furnas (lunch included)
15:00 – 16:00 Bus departure do Caldeira Velha Natural Monument
16:30 – 18:00 Visiting Caldeira Velha Natural Monument
18:00 Bus departure to Ponta Delgada
This Friday, January 20, the Portuguese Space Agency launched a tender for the operation of a 15-meter antenna dedicated to the command and control of satellites, installed in the Teleport on the island of Santa Maria, in the Azores Archipelago.
Interested parties should guarantee the commercial exploitation of the antenna with the aim of empowering the national space ecosystem, promoting the development of space sciences and technologies and the promotion of innovation and scientific employment, namely on the island of Santa Maria, thus contributing to leverage the spatial ecosystem of Santa Maria.
This high-performance 15-meter antenna is intended for control and command of satellites and space missions in the S-band and X-band, with performance similar to the European Space Agency’s 15-meter ESTRACK ground stations, and capable of missions outside Earth orbit.
Find more information here: https://ptspace.pt/portuguese-space-agency-launches-tender-for-satellite-command-and-control-operation-in-santa-maria/
17/01/2023: Very important day for the future of the space sector in the Azores, Portugal and Europe! The formalization of the Space Technological Center was carried out with the visit of the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Elvira Fortunato, who launched the Space Technological Center of Santa Maria together with the President of the Government of the Azores, José Manuel Bolieiro, the Mayor of Vila do Porto, Bárbara Chaves, and the President of the Portuguese Space Agency, Ricardo Conde. The agency’s Director, Hugo Costa, the Regional Undersecretary of the Presidency, Pedro Faria e Castro, and the coordinator of the Azores Mission Structure for Space, Paulo Quental, were also present during the visit.
The new center aims to promote the development of technological capabilities in the space sector, in Portugal, with the creation of space access and return capabilities. The new infrastructure will create synergies and reinforce the attractiveness conditions for new companies and new services, aiming at creating jobs and strengthening the Space Ecosystem of the Azores.
The program included, in addition to the visit to the site where the CTE will be born (included the signing of the deed for the transfer of land to the Portuguese Space Agency by the Municipality of Vila do Porto), visits to the Santa Maria Teleport (announcement of the extension of the agreement with ESA for the maintenance of the tracking station and reception of satellite data, and investment of 4M€ in infrastructure), to the Oceanic Control Center of NAV and to RAEGE – Atlantic Network of Geodynamic and Space Stations.
Within the scope of the Autonomic Forum that took place on December 18, 2022 in Vila do Porto, Santa Maria island, the Azores Strategy for Space was presented in its final version after public consultation. On the occasion, the new graphic identity SPACEAZORES was presented, which intends to emphasize the presence of the Region in the international space sector.
Last December, fifteen teachers from seven islands in the Azores participated in the CanSat Júnior Azores Workshop, which marks the start of this project in the Region. The training took place at the facilities of OASA – Astronomical Observatory of Santana, Azores and was carried out by ESERO-Portugal/Ciência Viva, within the scope of a partnership between this institution and the Government of the Azores through the Office of the Regional Undersecretary for the Presidency and EMA -Space. CanSat Júnior Azores is one of the actions included in the Azores Strategy for Space – Dissemination, Education and Scientific Culture for Space.