What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of “space exploration”? Perhaps the moon, bathed in a dark blue tincture; honeycomb-shaped gold foil slowly unfolding to collect solar energy; a camera gliding through space 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth whilst capturing images of distant galaxies; robots roaming over rust-red soil in search of water; or maybe the astronaut in Andy Weir’s “Project Hail Mary” frantically trying to find answers for his home planet in a foreign realm. But probably not an office in Innsbruck or Vienna: Rovers, rockets, satellites, spacesuits – this is where the “eyes” with which we observe space are created. Because it is in the restless nature of man to want to explore the world around him.

My name is Merlind, I’m 17 years old and have a special fondness for physics. I enjoy understanding how things work, asking why-questions, and together with others discussing the macro- and microcosm which hold our world together at ist very core. I believe every good scientist feels the urge to dive deep into unknown territory and through it expanding the horizon of our knowledge piece by piece. It awes me that passion is able to blur the line between fiction and reality.

This is what led me to the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF).

Originally, I planned to analyze data for the ADLER mission, focusing particularly on space debris and its consequences. I also wanted to shed light on an aspect that doesn’t immediately come to mind but for most of us is an indispensable part of our everyday life: digital communication. My central question was to which extent space debris can limit optical communication by, for example, changing the polarization of photons (the smallest energy units of light) through reflection. This project would have fit well with my pre-scientific paper and would have highlighted a currently rather overlooked (yet important) aspect. After all, digital communication today relies almost exclusively on sending and receiving photons. A long-term disruption of this communication means loopholes in (not only) Europe’s security.

However, upon my arrival in Innsbruck, this focus changed, which I nevertheless look back on with satisfaction: On one hand, I was involved in the Delta Suit project by William and Xavier (see previous blog entries), where I occupied myself with 3D printing and design for the first time. On the other hand, the internship lived up to its name, as my activities were primarily one thing: practically oriented. – From commissioning a small Mars rover to mounting a new handle for a transport box using a drill, jigsaw and more. Since Xavier and William had already taken over the analysis of the ADLER data, I finally prepared a presentation about the ADLER mission.

As such, my four-week internship at the OeWF turned out to be especially one thing: diverse.

Not only did I have technical or organizational tasks but also the opportunity to meet new people and assist them with their projects. If I had to choose a particular quote for the OeWF, it would be the following: Teamwork makes the dream work. – I found it truly remarkable how much the OeWF cares about good communication and how much the OeWF supports an open work atmosphere. But that’s not all: The OeWF gives interns the opportunity to make their own projects come to life by providing a budget for the necessary materials, for instance. Although this option was unfortunately no longer feasible for my project out of various reasons, I want to emphasize that I find the OeWF‘s openness towards young people not only motivating but also exemplary as it makes an important contribution to the research interest of the new generation.

After two weeks, I moved to the OeWF department in Vienna, where I gained a new perspective on the OeWF and its key projects. My particular highlight – and main occupation in Vienna – was the Expeditionary Program for Learning OppoRtunities in Analog Space Exploration (EXPLORE), for which I assembled physical learning toolkits including instructions and material lists. While it’s a bit disappointing that I couldn’t implement my original project, my work on EXPLORE will play a key role in bringing the topic of spaces itself closer to pupils and sparking their enthusiasm. Some of these pupils will even participate in real analog missions (see Emily’s post) using the learning kits I put together. I hope EXPLORE ignites the same fire that sparked my passion for physics in other young people. After all, I primarily owe it to my education that this fire continues to burn inside my heart to the present day.

I would like to thank my supervisor and head of the EXPLORE project, Seda Özdemir-Fritz, for her organizational support and Gernot Grömer for the internship opportunity. Overall, I want to express my gratitude to the entire team I met. I’m glad to have been part of it.

Lastly, I would like to address you, dear reader, with these closing words:

Anyone interested in technology who wants to learn more about space or contribute to space research is definitely in good hands at the OeWF.

Author: Merlind Raible, OeWF-intern

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