Space exploration is an important tool for stimulating learners' interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
So says Bafedile Kgwadi, science and technology programmes co-ordinator for the South African Agency of Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA), in anticipation of a telephonic meeting between a group of South African learners and an astronaut on the International Space Station (ISS) taking place on 2 May.
This Saturday, learners from Sol Plaatje Primary School in Mafikeng, North West province, will talk directly with Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, the first Italian woman in space, who will answer questions about life in space, science experiments conducted on the ISS, and astronomy in general.
Sol Plaatje Primary was selected by SAASTA after its team of four learners won the National AstroQuiz in 2014. Ebenitha Esterhuizen, Kgotlholela Seagisa, Oratile Selatlhedi and Orefile Morule together beat 4 400 learners from 1 100 schools in all nine provinces to win this opportunity for their school, and will be joined by about 30 other learners and their educator, Micalla Lucas, for the meeting. The four winners are now in grade eight in high school.
The telebridge meeting, arranged by the Italian Embassy in Pretoria, will be co-ordinated by Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS), a group of volunteers who organise meetings between crew members on the ISS and learners worldwide. The ISS will transit over an ARISS telebridge station in Italy, from whence the signals will be transmitted to the school via telephone line.
The mysteries of space and peculiarities of space exploration provoke curiosity and scientific enquiry, which can be used as a strong point of interest for teaching scientific laws and theories, says Kgwadi.
Although learners stand a slim chance of becoming astronauts, the various technologies deployed in space exploration - rockets, for example - can be used to generate interest in engineering and technology career paths.
Space exploration can also forge positive international relations, she adds