An European pupil project linked to the scientific aims of the experiment AQUARIUS-XENOPUS on the taxi Soyuz flight Andromede to ISS.
The German-French biological experiment AQUARIUS-XENOPUS which flew on the Soyuz flight Andromede to the International Space Station ISS (launched October 21, 2001 in Baikonour/Kazakhstan) was extended by an outreach project. Pupils of class 10 to 12 from Ulm/D and Nancy-Tomblaine/F studied swimming behavior of Xenopus tadpoles on ground. They were instructed to perform all experimental steps following the protocol of similar video recordings on ISS. After the flight, they evaluated the kinetics of swimming of both ground controls and space animals. The pupil project included theoretical components to introduce them to the field of gravitational biology. One feature of the project was the exchange of ideas between pupils by meetings which took place in Ulm (June 2001), Nancy (February 2002) and Paris (May 2002). We consider our approach as a successful way to include young people in space experiments on a cheap cost level and to bring ideas of gravitational biology into the curricula of European schools.
Laboratory of Experimental Biology-Immunology, Henri Poincare University, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France. Christian.Dournon@scbiol.uhp-nancy.fr
Christian
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Dournon
Herve
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Membre
Pierre-Eric
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Brohm
Aurore
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Coince
Nathalie
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Cornu
Laura
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Dreyer
Jonathan
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Florentin
Lydie
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Jeanneau
Camille
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Henniquin
Marie
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Houbre
Marine
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Guerard
Nathalie
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Lecomte
Lorie
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Maxant
Marion
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Schluraff
Anne-Sophie
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Venandet
Aiste
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Jusyte
Dana
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Simmet
Dominique
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Bocking
Dorothee
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Flaig
Leo
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Santak
Steffen
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Bolek
Verena
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Goppel
Jean-Paul
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Rossignon
Marie-Alice
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Trossat
Martine
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Raux
Susanne
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Forster
Gerd
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Staudenmaier
Sybille
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Boser
Eberhard
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Horn