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Among serious American students wearing a lab coat, a plaid shirt, a bowtie, and even a suit, a group of five Brazilos fidgeted in the chairs of an auditorium in Washington on Thursday.
Students, ages 13 to 15, were minutes away from being the first Brazilians to submit an experiment to send to the International Space Station (ISS) in an annual US government action in partnership with the United States. NASA (the US Space Agency).
"I think it was the five most difficult stages of my life," said Otto Gerbaka, 13, in Folha about the road he's borrowed on the stage under replicas of rockets, satellites and an image of the moon. 19659004] This is the first time that a group of students from Brazil, Dante Alighieri Schools, Anchor Project and Perimetral Municipal School, in São Paulo, participate in the event. The student competition, called the Experimental Space Program for Students, is 12 years old. Never before has a country outside of North America participated in the initiative.
"It's an honor to have you here; This will serve as a model for the entire nation, "said program coordinator Jeff Goldstein, who was applauded by the team.
In English, the Brazilians recounted in turn how it works. experience, which will send a light bulb in the space of a compound of cement and green plastic powder.If this compound can withstand microgravity satisfactorily, it may be an alternative for the construction of colonies outside the Earth.
The launch will take place this Friday (29), at 6:41, Brasília time.
This Thursday, it was just a little less than ten minutes of presentation. the end, teachers, parents and students hugged, much in tears.
"It's like we're meeting. On stage, there's more than a year of work" , said the teacher, Miriam Brito Guimarães, coordinator of the Dante Alighieri school. "This is a small point of a great mountain that we are building."
Guimaraes held a Brazilian flag, deeply in the audience. Other teachers took out the cell phone and recorded the historic moment. One of the students, Natan Cardoso, 15, has even put green and yellow rubber on the device that he is carrying on his teeth.
"It was not for the World Cup, no; was to show here at NASA, "he said, who is studying at the Perimetral Municipal School and making his first international trip.
It was months of preparation and study. The winning team came out of a dispute last year between 72 groups of Brazilians, made up of students aged 12 to 14. Three projects were sent to NASA and only one was selected
"We are at a time when we have to choose whether Brazil will be an actor or a viewer of access to space. It's my job: to transform Brazil into an actor, "said space engineer Lucas Fonseca, coordinator of the Garatéa Mission, who developed the project in partnership with the colleges.
After choosing the Experience, in December of the year the students started to organize for the trip.Some reinforced English clbades.
"I sold a lot of brigadeiro for happen, "said Sofia Palma, 13, an 8th year student of the Anchor project in Cotia." I've always loved reading about Science, but I've never thought I'd be in such a project "
The possibility of creating new space engineers is real among the group." I had never thought of working with space. With this project, I think it's a possibility, "said Laura D'Amaro, 13, a student of Dante Alighieri." I've always wanted to be an engineer. After this project, even more, "said Guilherme Funck, 13, to whom the idea of working with cement began.
The day before, they had practiced the presentation for three hours – even with Brazil World
For teachers, the reflexes of research are already felt in clbad. "The perspective is different: they begin to formulate questions, to make badumptions, to work with variables. It's a scientific culture, "says Tiago Bodê, a science professor at Dante Alighieri
. In July, Garatea will open a national edict for the next edition of the contest. Colleges across the country can participate.
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