EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY – EDUCATION PAYLOAD OPERATIONS – FOAM-S (ESA-EPO-FOAM-S)
Research Area: Classroom Versions of ISS Investigations
Expeditions: 29-ongoing
Principal Investigator(s): ● Dominique Langevin, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
● HSO Promotion Office, ESA/ESTEC, Noordwijk, The
Netherlands
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The European Space Agency –
Education Payload Operations – Foam-
S (ESA-EPO-Foam-S) investigation
introduces foams to European students
ages 10-18. School children operate
identical experiments on the ground as
were undertaken on the International
Space Station (ISS) in order to witness
how foams differ under the influence
of gravity compared to Station’s
weightless environment. This project
intends to stimulate the students’
curiosity and motivate them towards
science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) subjects as well
as to bring awareness to the younger generation of the importance of the ISS as a testing bed
for future exploration activities in space.
RESULTS
As an education activity the experiment was a success with all activities, including the live link,
being accomplished. ESA-EPO-Foam-S distributes large numbers of kits to schools in order for
students to undertake the same activity in the classroom as undertaken by the astronaut in
orbit, and a multi-site live-link event to the ISS in order to present the conclusions of the
experiment on the Station to the participating school children and the general public.
Recordings were also made available online in order for children/students performing their
investigations at a later time to that performed on-board ISS. The investigation observations are
supported using footage and observations of terrestrial events.
This investigation is complete; however no publications are expected.
ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers with the European Space
Agency – Education Payload Operations – Foam-S
investigation. ESA image.