Exploring Mars from Earth: Thales Alenia Space’s MARSBalloon Initiative Takes Flight

Exploring Mars from Earth: Thales Alenia Space’s MARSBalloon Initiative Takes Flight

(IN BRIEF) Thales Alenia Space launches MARSBalloon 2024, a hands-on science project for primary and secondary students, aiming to spark interest in space exploration and science careers. Students design experiments to test various materials and conditions in a simulated Mars environment using high-altitude balloons. The initiative includes a competitive element with prizes, and registration is open until March 8th, 2024. Already, schools like Ballymacash Primary in Northern Ireland have signed up, expressing excitement about the opportunity.

(PRESS RELEASE) BRISTOL, 20-Feb-2024 — /EuropaWire/ —  Thales (EPA: HO), a French multinational company active in the aerospace, defence, transportation and security markets, announces that Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, is igniting students’ curiosity about space, science, and life on Mars through the launch of MARSBalloon 2024.

Led by Thales Alenia Space graduates and apprentices in the UK, MARSBalloon is a hands-on science project designed for primary and secondary students. It showcases the exciting and diverse career opportunities available in space, engineering, and science, all without requiring a space suit.

Students collaborate to create experiments that test the response of electronics, materials, plants, and even food to the harsh conditions of space. These experiments fit inside a small capsule and are flown on a high-altitude balloon, reaching heights of 30km – more than twice the height of commercial airliners. Here, conditions mimic those on the surface of Mars, with temperatures plummeting to -50°C and pressures at 1/100th that of sea level.

This year’s MARSBalloon features a competitive element, with prizes awarded in primary and secondary categories for Best Innovation, Best Decoration, Engineers Choice, and VIP Judge’s Choice awards.

Registration for MARSBalloon is open until March 8th, 2024, with the balloon launch scheduled for May. Teachers interested in participating can find more information and download the information pack from the Thales Group website.

Teachers can find out more about the MARSBalloon and download the information pack here: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/futuremartians

Key dates for this year’s MARSBalloon include:

• March 8th: Last day for Registration
• April 30th: Deadline for experiment delivery to Thales Alenia Space
• May/June: MARSBalloon launch (depending on weather conditions)

Already, Ballymacash Primary School in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, has signed up for the initiative. Susan Brown, a primary teacher at the school, expressed excitement about the project, highlighting the students’ eagerness to start dreaming up their own experiments. She said “We are so excited to be involved in such an amazing activity. The students can’t wait to start dreaming up their own experiments. We’re looking forward to having our very own MARSBalloon workshop in March – so watch this space to see what the children come up with!”

Drashti Shah, Thales Alenia Space Engineer and MARSBalloon Project Manager, commented on the launch, expressing delight at the record number of participants last year and the extended registration period for this year. Shah emphasized that MARSBalloon offers a fun, free opportunity for students to design their own experiments and gain firsthand experience in space exploration, broadening their future career horizons. “We are delighted to have launched MARSBalloon 2024. We had a record number of participants last year, flying over 200 experiments into the stratosphere, and this year we have changed the dates to allow more schools to get involved. It is a fantastic fun, free of charge that really gives young student experience of deigning their own experiments and first-hand experience learning more about space, widening their future career horizons.”

Visit thalesgroup.com/futuremartians to sign up.

About THALES ALENIA SPACE

Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources, and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately 2.2 billion euros in 2022 and has around 8,500 employees in 10 countries with 17 sites in Europe and a plant in the US.

THALES ALENIA SPACE – PRESS CONTACTS

Jill Hutchinson
Tel. : +44 (0) 7854 959 805
jill.hutchinson@thalesaleniaspace.com

SOURCE: Thales