The call to the ISS was part of the “Marvel of Microgravity” thematic events organized by three European Space Resource Offices (ESEROs) linking the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci in Milan; the Pavilion of Knowledge in Lisbon, and the Luxembourg Science Center in Differdange.
Together with other students from Italy and Portugal, 150 pupils and students from the Lycée Michel Lucius, the Lycée des Arts et Métiers, the Lycée Fieldgen and the University of Luxembourg asked questions to the Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti for about 20 minutes.
Students and teachers were able to ask Samantha questions about her mission, microgravity and research on the ISS. They also had the unique opportunity to ask Samantha to perform simple experiments to discover the differences between how they are performed in space and on Earth.
The three experiments were “Do oil and water mix in microgravity?”; “Is it possible to yo-yo in space?”; and “What is the effect of surface tension when squeezing a wet towel?”
Although the astronaut could not personally answer all the questions due to lack of time, this did not dampen the enthusiasm of those present.
Before and after the flight call, students and teachers in attendance participated in a variety of activities, including presentations by space experts, STEM workshops, and guided educational activities using space as inspiration.
