40 Million Scouts and Guides celebrate Sputnik 50th anniversary
- Paper ID
6677
- author
- company
RMIT University, Australia; Space Qualified Ltd; Unesco
- country
Australia
- year
2007
- abstract
Scouts and guides are not a first stop traditional target group for space science. In October 2007 40 million scouts and guides using donated time on Sumbandila SAT, and other communications satellites, made available by industry and governments, transmit and receive messages of celebration of space technology and goodwill. This project was an innovative means of informal space education with measurable outcomes through a non standard method yet with enormous impact. The project in the form of an International Jamboree of the Air (IJOTA) increases public awareness of space technology using the 50th Anniversary of Sputnik and the annual Scouts and Guides IJOTA. Coincidently Sputnik is also an exciting opportunity for Guides and Scouts to celebrate 100 years of scouting sharing the same year as the 50th Anniversary of the first human made space craft to orbit the earth. The communications satellites have been specially opened for Guides and Scouts to send international messages around the globe using the 143MHz UHF Amateur Radio Band. Cosmonaut Alexander Kaleri a keen amateur radio enthusiast has joined the project to inspire young people around the world. Kaleri who has both Soyuz and Mir missions in his flight log is an active amateur radio enthusiast engaging communications with fellow amateurs as far off as Australia. Sputnik is once again a household word around the globe in this spectacular celebration of two historic events for one earth, the formation of the Scout movement in 1907 and the launching of the first satellite in 1957 which has facilitated a shrinking world through global communication. “History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race.” The project collaborates with the World Organization of the Scouting Movement and their Guides counterpart to ensure the outreach and education fit within the ideals of Guiding and Scouting. The outreach is far beyond the 40 million children brining in ground stations, Universities and amateur radio groups. Building on IJOTA the scouting movement has adopted astronomy as a focus science for the 2009 astrophysical year. Participation statistics and real measures of the impact and outreach effectiveness of the Sputnik IJOTA project are presented.