On December 28th, 2022, Mars on Earth Project (MoEP) visited Private Erol Altaca Schools as part of the MoEP social responsibility project, which was created to support the curiosity and interest of primary, secondary, and high school students in space sciences.
Image-1. Private Erol Altaca Schools Space Club students and the MoEP Biology Team leader came together as part of the event. (Image Credit: MoEP)
The event was held with the support of MoEP-Biology Team leader Tuğçe Celayir.
MoEP conducted a seminar on space biology and Mars studies for students from different age groups, and the questions that the students wondered were answered.
The first question posed to the students was why they were curious about space. While answering this question, we realized that humanity’s interest in space had been ingrained in our minds as a source of passion and curiosity that has been going on for centuries and that we, who inherited this feeling from our ancestors, still turn our eyes to the sky and desire to explore the universe full of unknowns.
The same question was in the minds of students of all ages;
“What lies beyond Earth, the home of us humans?“
Actually, our distant search in the sky is built on this question.
Starting from the progress of humanity in the area of space throughout history, it was mentioned that space studies, which allow the birth of technologies that will affect our daily lives, and our future on the planet Mars and space biology studies play a crucial role in this direction.
Space biology is a journey that began in 1947 with the first launch of the fruit flies into space with the V-2 rocket. After 75 years since then, we have learned a lot. We understood the importance of biology in space studies and space missions, and we encountered many questions that needed to be answered for the future of living things in space.
The most important thing we learned was that we still have much to learn. In this direction, current space biology studies, plant space biology, and, most importantly, what steps should be taken by students to become an astrobiologist were mentioned.
As MoEP, we will continue to work to guide young and child generations to science and engineering, to ensure that they know this field and to support their belief that they can succeed.
Image-2. Within the seminar’s scope, the quotes of successful astronauts that students can take as role models were included. (Image Credit: MoEP)
We would like to thank Private Erol Altaca Schools for hosting MoEP as part of the event. We aim to reach more schools and introduce more students to space sciences.
Within the seminar’s scope, the quotes of successful astronauts that students can take as role models were included.
