Maximising the legacy of education and outreach from British ESA astronaut Tim Peake’s mission to the International Space Station, Aberdeen Science Centre has been awarded an education grant from the UK Space Agency, as part of the 2016 Principia Mission Education Grant Scheme, to create a themed environment inspired by the International Space Station’s Columbus laboratory – the first permanent European research facility in space and where Tim Peake conducted experiments during his Principia mission.
This exciting new facility will provide Aberdeen Science Centre visitors with the chance to participate in a range of hands on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) practical activities and challenges in an incredibly immersive environment. Similar to the Columbus laboratory, which features racks of removable containers, the facility’s activity stations will host interchangeable trays exploring a range of STEM topics that will regularly refresh providing a progressive experience for repeat visitors.
Liz Hodge, chief executive at Aberdeen Science Centre, said: “We’re delighted to be able to bring further engagement with the Principia mission to the community and schools with this new project. It is a great opportunity to showcase some of the fantastic STEM topics surrounding the mission, as well as to showcase such an immersive and constantly developing environment for learning. Collaborating with the UK Space Agency and partners has been a superb chance to enhance STEM learning across the country and we cannot wait to unveil this interactive lab module for all of our visitors.”
The Principia Mission Education Grant is funded by the UK Space Agency as they support and ensure primary and secondary school aged students all across the UK continue to benefit from Tim Peake’s mission. These programmes represent a wide range of creative ideas and cross-curricular activities designed to promote engagement and learning in science and technology subjects.