The Cité de l’espace, in partnership with the Toulouse Regional Education Authority, the Federal University of Toulouse, and with the support of MGEN, hosted the 12th Children’s Science Congress on Thursday, June 3. Due to the health situation, the 2021 Children’s Science Congress was held online on the Cité de l’espace website.
Created in 2009 to introduce students to the different aspects of the research profession, promote scientific culture, and inspire potential careers, this event is the culmination of a project that allows students between the ages of 9 and 12 to work in class on a scientific theme related to space and astronomy. It is being offered for the first time as part of the activities of the ESERO France office, of which the Cité de l’espace is one of the partners.
During the school year, 22 Cycle 3 classes from different school districts (Rennes, Versailles, Lyon, Toulouse, La Réunion, Strasbourg, Reims, Clermont-Ferrand, Aix-Marseille, Montpellier) explored the red planet with the aim of establishing their school there! After several weeks of experimentation and investigation, the students developed innovative solutions to overcome the constraints of Mars. During the event, they presented their research to other students, encouraged by Romain Charles, an engineer at MEDES-IMPS (Institute of Space Medicine and Physiology) at CNES, who was a guest speaker at the event.
The event program
The event began with a conference given by the sponsor of the 2021 edition, Romain Charles. Between June 2010 and November 2011, Romain Charles participated in the Russian experimental program Mars 500, which aimed to simulate on Earth a crew’s round trip to Mars. The lecture was followed by a question-and-answer session with the students.
Romain Charles’ conference
A presentation session of the students’ work allowed them to discuss and give their opinions on the projects presented. During the break, Cité de l’espace provided students with a variety of activities and games to do in class to learn about space and Mars in a fun way. At the end of the day, each class was awarded a prize to congratulate the students for their involvement and research work on Mars.
Virtual exhibition of 2021 projects
To find out more, visit the Congress page
