Jointly Operated with KAIST: 'Space Gifted Project'
Selecting a Total of 45 Participants by June 9
"The destination this time is Mars."
Hanwha Space Hub and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) are jointly operating the "Korean NASA Space School," called "Pebbles of the Universe," which is starting its 2nd program with the theme of "Mars Exploration." The purpose is to discover and nurture South Korean youth interested in space early on and proactively secure global competitiveness in the field of space science.
Hanwha Space Hub announced on the 16th that it will recruit participants for the 2nd "Pebbles of the Universe" program from May 22 to June 9. Hanwha Space Hub is a space business consortium involving Hanwha Corporation, Hanwha Aerospace, and Hanwha Systems.
Launched last year, "Pebbles of the Universe" is an educational program open to any first- or second-year middle school students interested in space. This year, the number of recruits has been expanded from 30 to 45.
Applicants are selected through a first screening of a Mars exploration research proposal essay written by themselves and a second screening interview. Those wishing to participate can apply through the program's official website.
Students of the first class of Space Pebbles viewing a life-sized satellite (left). In February, the students visited Japan's JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Tsukuba Space Center and TENQ Tokyo Dome City Space Museum as part of their overseas exploration. [Photo by Hanwha]
The finally selected 2nd cohort students will attend lectures on basic scientific theories and space humanities at KAIST for six months from July to December, and participate in an "experiential space mission project" where they will lead the process from "topic selection - logical concretization - result derivation" together with aerospace engineering faculty and master's and doctoral mentors.
The space humanities conference will feature a diverse lineup of lecturers, including Professor Kim Sang-wook from Kyung Hee University's Department of Physics, Professor Yoo Hyun-joon from Hongik University's College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Dr. Son Sang-mo who directly operates the James Webb Space Telescope, scientific influencer Gwedo from the science YouTube channel "Andoel Science," and science fiction (SF) writers Bae Myung-hoon and Kim Cho-yeop.
Graduates will receive benefits such as a KAIST president's certificate of completion, opportunities to attend KAIST gifted education programs, KAIST mentoring, one-on-one career consulting with experts, and group overseas exploration trips.
Hanwha Space Hub stated, "We will continue to invest in space education infrastructure from a long-term perspective to increase youth interest and understanding of space, which determines the nation's future competitiveness."
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