Abstract
The European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) co-organise since 2016 a Summer School on gravity-related research in the frame of ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Programme. This Summer School is organised every year, in June, at the ESA Education Training Centre located in ESA’s European Space Security and Education Centre (ESEC), Belgium. The Summer School explains the fundamentals of performing research at different gravity levels and offers an overview of current research activity under microgravity and hypergravity conditions in life and physical sciences. Over four and a half intensive days, up to 30 Bachelor and Master students from ESA Member States, Canada and Slovenia, attend stimulating lectures, and work within small groups to devise project ideas for prospective experiments. Gravity-related research is introduced to these future scientists and engineers by experienced professionals from across the European space and research sector. These trainers are ELGRA members and ESA experts, freely sharing their experience and know-how with the students, including their day-to-day work and research experience in biology, human physiology, physics and engineering. Each year the programme incorporates new elements to enhance the experience for the students based on their feedback. 104 university students and 43 different experts have already participated in this Summer School.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Callens, N., Ventura-Traveset, J., De Lophem, T.L., Lopez De Echazarreta, C., Pletser, V., Van Loon, J.: ESA Parabolic flights, drop tower and centrifuge opportunities for university students. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 23-2, 181–189 (2011)
Callens, N., Ha, L., Galeone, P.: Benefits of ESA gravity-related hands-on Programmes for university students’ careers. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 28(5), 519–527 (2016)
CSL – http://www.csl.uliege.be. Accessed March 25 2020
Drop your Thesis! – http://www.esa.int/Education/Drop_Your_Thesis. Accessed March 25 2020
ELGRA – http://www.elgra.org. Accessed March 25 2020
ESA – http://www.esa.int. Accessed March 25 2020
ESA Academy - https://www.esa.int/Education/ESA_Academy/What_is_the_ESA_Academy. Accessed March 25 2020
ESA Education – http://www.esa.int/Education. Accessed March 25 2020
ESC – http://www.eurospacecenter.be. Accessed March 25 2020
ESEC – http://www.esa.int/About_Us/Welcome_to_ESA/ESEC. Accessed March 25 2020
Frett, T., Mayrhofer, M., Schwandtner, J., Anken, R., Petrat, G.: An innovative short arm centrifuge for future studies on the effects of artificial gravity on the human body. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 26, 249–255 (2014)
Frett, T., Petrat, G., van Loon, J.J.W.A., et al.: Hypergravity Facilities in the ESA Ground-Based Facility Program – Current Research Activities and Future Tasks. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 28, 205–214 (2016)
Galileo - https://www.gsa.europa.eu/european-gnss/galileo/galileo-european-global-satellite-based-navigation-system. Accessed March 25 2020
Kufner, E., Blum, J., Callens, N., Eigenbrod, C., Koudelka, O., Orr, A., Rosa, C., Vedernikov, C., Will, A., Reimann, S., Wurm, J., G.: ESA’s drop tower utilisation activities 2000 to 2011. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 23, 409–425 (2011)
Marée, H, Galeone, P, Callens, N. ESA Academy’s Training and Learning Programme: training opportunity for University students, International Astronautical Federation Congress, paper IAC-19,E1,3,5 , 21–25 October 2019, Washington D.C., United States. (2019)
Pletser, V., Rouquette, S., Friedrich, U., Clervoy, J.-F., Gharib, T., Gai, F., Mora, C.: European parabolic flight campaigns with Airbus ZERO-G: looking back at the A300 and looking forward to the A310. Adv. Space Res. 56, 1003–1013 (2015)
Proba - https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Proba_Missions. Accessed March 25 2020
Romero-Calvo, A., Cano Gómez, G., Castro-Hernández, E., Maggi, F.: Free and forced oscillations of magnetic liquids under low-gravity conditions. J. Appl. Mech. 87, (2020). https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4045620
SELGRA - https://sites.google.com/site/studentelgra. Accessed March 25 2020
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank ESA and ELGRA experts who developed and delivered voluntary lectures during the first four editions of the Summer School and shared their knowledge and enthusiasm with the participating university students.
Funding
The Summer School is a jointly funded initiative from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Low Gravity Research Association (ELGRA).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
All authors were involved in the preparation and delivery of the different editions of the Summer School.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
Not applicable.
Data Availability
Not applicable.
Code Availability
Not applicable.
Additional information
This article belongs to the Topical Collection: The Effect of Gravity on Physical and Biological Phenomena
Guest Editor: Valentina Shevtsova
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Callens, N., Carvil, P., Van Walleghem, M. et al. ESA/ELGRA Gravity-Related Research Summer School: an Introduction to Microgravity and Hypergravity Research for University Students. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 33, 13 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-020-09849-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-020-09849-1