Ready for launch in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1....Mission X is go!
The 2013 Mission X project launched last Friday in the Netherlands and Japan. The project uses astronauts as role models to promote a healthy lifestyle to children between 8 - 12 years, through good eating and exercise. Some 15 000 students from primary schools in 20 different countries are taking part in this challenge, competing to complete tasks based on many aspects of the human body throughout the six-week mission, including bone strength, muscle endurance and the heart.
Around 200 students from three different schools in the Netherlands were invited to the European Space Agency's visitor centre, Space Expo, as the Dutch and Japanese programmes kicked off. The EU Universe Awareness team ran a special 'Build you own Telescope' workshop at the launch event, during which students teamed up in pairs to build a model of the Japanese Subaru Telescope. The activity was specifically designed to train the children on skills important for astronauts: 'team work' necessary when working in very close quarters with others for prolonged periods, 'improvisation' to help them face any unexpected events and 'fine motor skills' for operating instruments and picking up objects wearing thick space gloves.
The day, organised by the Netherlands Space Office (NSO), included two very special guests: Dutch astronaut André Kuipers was in attendance at Space Expo and Japanese astronaut, Chiaki Mukai was present at the launch in Tokyo, Japan. Both astronauts took part in a live Skype videochat, during which the children in both countries were invited to ask questions directly to the astronauts, who have both spent considerable time in space. “Do you like Japanese food?” one student asked Kuipers. The astronaut responded that not only did he like Japanese food, but because it is generally very spicy, it makes an excellent cure for motion sickness — a common ailment for those floating around the International Space Station.
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