Live from Space: students and teachers have a special call with Samantha

The in-flight call was part of the “Marvellous Microgravity” themed events organised by three European Space Resource Offices (ESEROs) connecting from the National Museum of Science and Technology Leonardo da Vinci in Milan, Pavilion of Knowledge in Lisbon, and the Luxembourg Science Center in Differdange.

Students and teachers had the chance to ask Samantha questions about her mission, about microgravity and research on board the ISS. They also had the  unique opportunity to ask Samantha to conduct simple experiments to discover the differences between performing them 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?”. Want to see the results? Watch the playback of the IFC here.

"Talking to Samantha was very special. It was a unique experience and I was glad that Samantha understood my question. I loved to see my question answered. In this experience, I learned how microgravity works and how you can live in space. To see it live is always different and I felt very special" said Henrique from Agrupamento de Escolas Pedro Eanes Lobato, who proposed the water and oil experiment to Samantha.

School students attending the event in Italy also shared their thoughts of the experience:

"I was really tense, but it was a wonderful, truly incredible experience" – Giona (18 years old),

“I have always loved art and music, but when my teacher inquired on who wanted to ask Samantha a question my hand immediately shot up. And then it really happened!” – Riccardo (13 years old),

“It was a great event. Kids sitting around me just gasped in amazement when Samantha let go of the microphone and it stayed there, floating in mid-air!” – Sara (17 years old).

Head teacher Marco Strasser from Luxembourg was happy to broaden his students' horizons. He himself is very interested in astronomy and took the opportunity to show his pupils something other than the classroom. "This is a field in which the prospects of finding work are growing all the time," he says. "Furthermore, it is important to show students that there are other options than the classic professions that everyone knows," he is convinced.

The events in each country were organised by the local ESEROs: ESERO Italy, ESERO Portugal, and ESERO Luxembourg. Before and after the in-flight call, the several hundred students and teachers attending, participated in a range of activities including talks from space experts, STEM workshops, and guided educational activities using space as an inspirational context.

The in-flight call with Samantha Cristoforetti is part of a wide range of educational activities delivered by ESA and the ESERO project across Europe. Currently, there are ESEROs operating in 20 ESA Member States. ESA’s ESERO project is a collaboration between ESA, national space agencies and national and local educational partners. 

ESERO is ESA's flagship project in support of primary and secondary education in Europe. The project uses the inspirational power of space, and the immense wealth of knowledge and competences generated by it, to boost the teaching and learning of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines at large. ESERO aims to enhance school pupils’ literacy and competence in STEM-related subjects through activities, tailored to national curricular, needs and context, that include training for teachers, innovative classroom materials, information about STEM careers, as well as access to roles models from national space industry and academia.