ISU SSP Ends Friday August 28th 2010
ISU SSP finally came to a close Friday the 28th August 2010. The last month of this course has been at a frenetic pace, (trying to explain the gap in blogs!) Summer is coming to an end in France too. The lavender in front of the ISU building started dying two weeks ago and nights require a jacket and scarf.
My graduation yesterday along with my 120 fellow ISU-Nauts as they are sometimes called by the staff was an amazing and beautiful experience. One by one, we were called up and our classmates clapped and cheered us.
I am standing down the front with Angie Buckley on my left and Michael Simpson, on my right.
Each one of us was very proud to stand infront of our colleagues. There was an incredible reception in Pioneers Hall and I felt a tinge of sadness as I walked off campus as a graduate of the International Space Universtiy Space Studies Program. Sad because I know I can never have this unique experience again, but happy because of the new connections I have made. Tomorrow we are each going to go our separate ways linked by the experience of ISU SSP.
I am exited at the prospect of returning to my 'real' life, back in Australia with my friends and family and seeing what kind of impact the ISU SSP experience will have on me. I want to thank every person who helped me to participate in this experience, without the support of my beautiful children and husband firstly, this just would not be possible. My friends and family who have assisted at home over this 9 weeks have been a godsend, my Australian Sponsors, Andromeda Industries, UNE Law School, APESMA Connect Scholarship and the ISU SSP Funding Committee.
Last but not least, the ISU SSP Staff, TA's, Department and Team project Chairs and Lecturers and the amazing SSP Class of 2010.
Best Regards Kim Ellis ISU SSP Graduate 2010
PS Watch this space- back on ABC Statewide with Helen Claire on my return in September!
Week 5 Tuesday 27th July
Tuesday 27th July DLR German Aerospace Centre
The German Aerospace centre is located in Stuttgart in Germany and consists of five research institutes.
Web link http://www.dlr.de/en/
The morning took us into the research laboratories of the Institute of Structures and Design, Institute of Vehicle concepts, Institute of Technical Physics, Institute of Thermal dynamics and Institute of Combustion technology.
Vulcain engine in the firing test.
This picture is from the website http://www.dlr.de/ra/en/DesktopDefault.aspx/tabid-4035/6382_read-9158/
The afternoon after a chaotic lunch at the university of Stuttgart was spent touring the DLR research facilities both in Stuttgart and just outside the city at the Institute of Space Propulsion which houses a number of rocket test stands. During our introductory presentation, we were lucky enough to experience the sound and feel of a rocket engine test. After the presentation we visited the test stands located accross the 45 hectare site which was founded in 1959. This site holds the Arianne 5 rocket test stand for the main stage Vulcain engines (pictured above)
Accross the site, test stands P8 through to P1 were visited by groups of about 20 students.
Test stand image from www.dlr.de/ra/en
After a very interesting day of visits, we all collapsed onto the bus and slept for the 3 hour journey back to Strasbourg and back to our student residence, the FEC. We were all so tired, there was a break from the usual custom here of taking embarrasing photos of sleeping people!
Week 5 Monday 26th July
Monday 26th July Start of Week 5 - A real milestone in the program
Exam!!!!!!!! This means the 60 core lectures are finished and we are moving onto the next phase of the program which will be a focus on departmental activites and the team project. The best part of the core lectures was the opportunity to catch up with all of the students in one place before we head off to our smaller groups of departments and Team Projects.
Right after the exam we piled onto the buses after some really juvenile photograph posing in our bargain red specs and headed off to Stuttgart in Germany.
Let's turn up the red and really bring out the glasses!
About a 2 hour trip to Stuttgart where all had a lovely dinner provided by DLR, we were treated to fantastic rooms with amazing showers and really comfy big beds. After the exam preparation it was a great change of pace to get out of France and over to Germany. Tomorrow is the visit to the German Space Agency, DLR.
Saturday & Sunday 24th and 25th July
Exam Preparation
& Sleep!
Enough said, will blog again on Monday-after the exam.
Week 4 Friday 23rd July
Yes I am aware that Friday comes around every week, however I am always surprised how quickly this happens, I think that time is speeding up!
I am sitting through the last lecture of the 60 lectures on the origins of the universe and trying madly to update the blog. I seem to be a week behind most of the time, so in the interests of being current, I am posting today and coming back to update later, so I don't become further behind.
Today is special, only lectures thismorrning and then we have the afternoon off with no Departmental Activity or Team Project work. My goal for thisafternoon is to post some items and find some casual clothes. We have the third culture night tonight which is always so much fun. There is an exam on Monday, so I will have to devote some time to study over the weekend , but I have a plan.
Spend the mornings socialising and sightseeing and the afternoon studying and then more sightseeing and socialising in the evening! A very balanced weekend.
Also Radio Interview with NSW Statewide and Helen Claire for the 10am-12pm on Sunday Morning (in Australia) midnight in France.
I have still been following the moon this week and I think I am getting the hang of my Camera, a Canon Powershot SX210 IS http://www.canon.com.au/For-You/Digital-Cameras/Powershot-Digital-Cameras/SX210IS-Camera I am photographing the moon using close to the maximum zoom .
Here is a question for everyone, what type of rocket engine is pictured below?
Saturday & Sunday 17th &18th July
This week, we have Saturday lectures to ensure that we fit in the 60 lectures accross the first 4 weeks. Nobody likes Saturday lectures as we have had a very full week. Finally I was able to rent a bicycle for the time left and the exercise will go towards mitigating the increased intake of chees and baguettes. Getting a bike reminded me of the freedom I felt when I first drove a car and gained my licence. Seeing the city by bicycle is going to be alot of fun.
Cultural night 2 is in the evening and there are presentations from USA, Belgium, Ireland, Serbia and Greece. Afterwards we have samplings of Irish coffee, a serbian homemade liqueur(quite strong) American beer and Belgian beer and chocolates.
Cultural Research Group examining Irish coffee!
Sunday Morning early a group of students headed off to Switzerland on the train. The train left the Strasbourg station at about 7:50 and after a change at Basel, went on to Interlaken by 11am. Switching trains at Interlaken, we were able to go up to Kleine Scheidegg which is in the Alps. Our mission was to hike from Kleine Scheidegg to Eiger Glacier. For more info on this go to our friend, wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiger The glacier has retreated more that 300metres in the last 5 years and has retreated more that one kilometre in the last 150 years.
The hike only took one hour from Kleine Scheidegg, however the track was steep in sections and I spent most of the time puffed. Nothing of course to do with the Panne e' chocolate that I consumed in the morning!
I apologise for the number of photos, but I spent the day really gaping at the massive scale and beauty of the mountains.
Long view of the Eiger Glacier from one of the high points on the hiking trail
View from the train going up to Kleine Scheidegg from Interlaken
Part of the hike to Eiger Glacier, which is in the top left of the photo, the sharp
ridge in the far ground was quite steep in the last part of the hike.
At the Glacier
The continuation of the glacier to the right of the previous photo
On the train returning to Interlaken
The train ride back to Strasbourg was 3 hours late and arrived at 2am not the scheduled 11pm,so after a 30 minute walk to the FEC, I have never been so happy to climb the 4 flights of stairs to my room.
Week 3 Friday 16th July
OMG- its Friday!
Favourite lecture today, Jim Dator on Space Futures. I learn't today that there is an organisation called the Hawaii centre for future studies as well as the association of futurists. There is the World Futures Studies Federation http://www.wfsf.org/ , you can even study this topic at University! Great topic for a Friday.
An interesting lecture on space debris really provided some food for thought. There are more than 10,000 pieces of space debris orbiting our planet. http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Space_Debris/index.html gives some great information about the type of debris and the impact it is having on future telecommunications activities. Nasa has a similar site http://orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov/ Jaxa http://www.jaxa.jp/projects/engineering/research/index_e.html
We discussed some of the possible impacts of earth return of debris. Some tests were previously done with a small sphere, around 1cm and this was shot at the same velocity that a piece of debris would collide with other objects in orbit, to see the impact. Judge for yourself below;
The crater in the steel is from the impact of a ball similar to the one in the foreground. Don't worry though, a piece of debris that small would burn up in the atmosphere!
The afternoon was spent encouraging our robotics competition entrants. The entrants were required to build a robot which sensed an outer boundary and any 'rocks' placed in the area. Also required was the collection of gems and each team was scored. This was a public event which attracted many children and people from the local area.
The competition area hosted by one of Robotics Greats!
One of the entries, Prochaine Station Mars (Next station Mars)
Week 3 Thursday 15th July
Watching the Moon from Strasbourg!
I wonder what is must be like as an astronaut to be able to view the moon from orbit? Dr Robert Thirsk in his lecture thisevening , 3000 orbits spoke about his 6 months on board the International Space Station. He showed a great video of his time on expedition 20/21 on the ISS and spoke in detail about his experience. Dr Thirsk spent May to December 2009 on the ISS as the flight engineer.
For more details on Bob, go to this link http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/thirsk.html
My evening with fellow students consisted of the Thursday French speaking dinner mainly spent asking outreageous questions like Veux tu m'pouser? (Will you marry me?) I did learn the phrase for could I have the water (Je voudrais de l'eau.)
Direct access to the beauty of the Universe , right out of my window in Strasbourg.
Week 3 Wednesday 14th July
Today is very special if you are french or an ISU SSP student. We have lectures only in the morning and then the afternoon off. Fireworks are planned for thisevening and so knowing this I took the opportunity to nap. The weather is still incredibly hot and so steamy that I think all of the students were napping thisafternoon and some groups went for a nap at Baggersee and lake nearby.
The fireworks were spectacular and it seemed like everyone in France was out at Pont Couvert where the fireworks were launched from. It was one of the best fireworks displays that I have ever experience.
Cheer Kim E
Week 3 Tuesday 13th July
Recovering from Paris.
After a busy Monday and the weekend in Paris, today's blog will be short. An interesting lecture today from Hugo Blomfield about spaceship earth. The idea that the earth is our life support system carrying us through space is not new. Some authors believe that the earth functions as a living organism, in particular James Lovelock whose books have become increasingly gloomy about the future.
http://www.ecolo.org/lovelock/lovebioen.htm you can read about the different books which start with books claiming that as populations on earth increase, temperatures will rise, water will become scarce, food production will decline and chaos will ensue.
Perhaps the lectures prompted students to travel to Place Kle'ber a large square in Strasbourg which has pubs and eateries with outdoor seating. A group of us ate at FEC and headed over to the square with a huge package of fresh strawberries for sharing. After that we settled at a great outdoor pub only to find some of our fellow students indulging in beer giraffe's. See for yourself below.
Gifaffe's seen on the left. There is a tap on the bottom for pouring.
