Teaching directory
Course 2024-2025

Introduction to Space Sciences [SMATB243]

  • 3 credits
  • quarter
Language of instruction: English

Learning outcomes

Broaden your horizons to a global view of space as a wide human activity. Meet experts of the field and learn about professional and societal perspectives.

 

Objectives

Getting introduced to the space sector and its different facets: from engineering and scientific aspects to its technological and societal impacts.

 

Content

 

Space looks like a dreamy destination… but you will not get there in scooter. To explore the unknown and to prepare the future of humanity on Earth and in the harshness of space, bravery is not enough. You also need talent, skills and passion, in various domains. Spatial activities and technologies are present in our everyday life, and it is not only about rockets and satellites. It is also about law, business, politics, security, environment, robotics, medicine, and fundamental science, to name but a few.

 


Teaching methods

We propose the students to discover several aspects of space sector, from engineering and science to humanities, during a spring school at Euro Space Center and ESA-ESEC (European Space Security and Education Centre), Belgium. The school is oriented towards a large audience, gathering STEM or non-STEM students, to allow them discovering some of the many faces of the space sector. The spring school will be given in English. For external students  that are not following the astronomy lecture (SMAT B213), preliminary on-line events will be provided for settling the context and some basic scientific knowledge about space. The school itself will include plenary general conferences on various topics (space law, medicine, rocketry, satellite operations, cybersecurity, etc.), team-building activities inspired by astronaut training at the Euro Space Center (the only space-themed park in Europe), visits of the ESA Academy facilities and ESEC-Redu station, a cosmicathon (team-based challenge around space mission design), planetarium and stargazing sessions, etc.

 

 

Evaluations

The Spring school will be preceded by an on-line meeting event, including some general introductory topics to space sector activities and remote demonstration of our astronomical pedagogical facility in Namur. Evaluation will consist of preparing short articles and/or videos, individually or in teams, aimed at presenting correctly one topic of the conference to a non-specialized audience. Quizz on general culture about space will also be proposed to help the students evaluating their knowledge of the subject.

 

Language of instruction

English

Location for course

NAMUR

Organizer

Faculté des sciences
Rue de Bruxelles, 61
5000 NAMUR

Degree of Reference

Undergraduate Degree