Hopeful astronauts given training
Hopeful astronauts given training
2008-10-03Newsfeed
British students hoping to explore the cosmos can now enrol in the country's first "space academy".
British students hoping to explore the cosmos can now enrol in the country's first "space academy".
The Leicester institute, set up by the National Space Centre, will provide education programmes, summer space schools and conferences. It will be built around science subjects in the schools curriculum.
The initiative, aimed at nine to 19-year-olds, was paid for with a £990,000 grant from the East Midlands development agency and involves local universities.
Professor Alan Wells, emeritus professor at the University of Leicester who led the Space Academy bid, said: "I am excited at the prospect of the Space Academy providing young people, and their teachers, with unique insights of the role of space in modern life - science, technology, the environment, history, human issues, even artistic creation."
Launching the academy, science and innovation minister Ian Pearson said: "Space plays an important part in enthusing a new generation of young people to take up studies of science, engineering, maths and technology subjects.
"It is exciting, accessible and it really captures the imagination of young people. The new Space Academy will tap into this excitement."
Copyright © The Press Association 2008
