Who says young people aren't interested in maths and science? Quite the opposite - it's their passion for these subjects that has resulted in students from Sint-Pieterscollege in Jette qualifying for a prestigious NASA science programme.
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Once again, Sint-Pieterscollege, based in the Brussels municipality of Jette, has made its mark on the international science scene. Last summer, some of its students took part in a rocket launch with the European Space Agency (ESA). This year, an equally ambitious international project awaits.
Every year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) organises the High Altitude Student Platform (HASP) project. The STRAINS (STratospheric RAdiation INstrumentS) experiment is a key component of this programme. It aims to send scientific instruments more than 35 kilometres above the Earth using a high-altitude balloon, into an area known as 'Near space'. The various instruments, designed by the students, are used to measure the different types of radiation in the atmosphere. Since each type of radiation requires its own instrument to meet its specific needs, the students will be tasked with developing a range of instruments.
Participation in this programme is limited to students in higher education, with the majority of successful entries coming from American universities. In a rare exception, this year, students from a Belgian secondary school will be taking part. Indeed, NASA was so impressed by the quality of their proposal, it was quick to offer them a spot.
So this summer, they're off to Texas to continue this exciting and promising adventure.
