ESA Academy: Fly a Rocket! & Ladybird Guide to Spacecraft Communications Training Course

I have applied to both activities as my goal is to participate in the space exploration in the future, and where else to apply for student projects than at the European Space Agency Academy.

I was absolutely blown away by an email coming from ESA that I got accepted to the Fly a Rocket! Programme. The most significant advantage of this programme is that it also has a practical part. And despite the practical part being postponed first to May and now further to the end of the year, we will get a chance to launch an actual rocket. The programme consists of a theoretical assignment where you must go through the material provided, and once you understand it, there are calculations to be done too. Topics include Orbital Dynamics, Delta V calculations, Rocket Dynamics and much more. I have set up an Instagram account to promote this programme and more project I take part in in the future: @czech_rocketman, so check it out!

The second message came sometime before Christmas, this time it was even more unexpected. I kept an eye on the inbox to see the outcome, and one day, it came. I got in! The Online Ladybird Guide to Spacecraft Communications Training Course usually takes place in Belgium. The biggest advantage for us as students was that since it was online, they could double the capacity from thirty to sixty. This two-week course consisted of 8 days of intensive and very interactive lectures about transforming the signal into a form that can be send all the way to for example Jupiter, getting a response back and making sure you can read it. At the end of the training, there also was an evaluation to check our understanding and provide us with feedback on our engagement and understanding.

Both these projects are inspiring, and I cannot wait to take part in more soon in the future, despite one of them still has not finished. These are my tiny first steps into the space industry!

Selfie z Ladybird Guide to Spacecraft Communications Training Course