Thirty Portuguese students will be astronauts for a day

This Friday, the Portuguese Space Agency – Portugal Space launches the Zero-G – Portugal – Astronaut for a Day contest. This national competition selects 30 students, aged 14 to 18, from Portuguese primary and secondary schools, to fly and experience microgravity conditions, simulating the sensation that astronauts experience in Space. The selection process, which aims to reproduce the procedures of an astronaut selection process, has the support of Ciência Viva and the Psychology Centre of the University of Porto.

​​”The Zero-G – Portugal – Astronaut for a Day contest is one of several initiatives of the Portuguese Space Agency to bring young people closer to Space, opening the way for training and career not only in Space, but in all areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) adjacent to the space sector. By bringing young people closer to Space, we want to contribute to their decision about their future, for example, following a path in these areas of study and – who knows? – awakening the vocation of future astronauts,” says Hugo Costa, director of Portugal Space.

Onboard the French Novespace Airbus A310, the parabolic flight campaign is scheduled to depart in September from a national airport and aims to reach all Portuguese students. Students between 14 and 18 years old who are attending basic and secondary education (9th to 11th grade), regular or vocational, in a public or private school, or who are home-schooling during the 2022/2023 school year may apply.

“Parabolic flights were created to understand if the human body could adapt to conditions of zero gravity, and how – but today they are a fundamental means of carrying out research in microgravity and testing some experiments before sending them to the International Space Station. They are also one of the ways used to train future astronauts, and this is the experience that we want to give Portuguese students,” stresses Hugo Costa.

Applicant students will have to pass a selection process composed of four stages: the application phase (open from 18 March to 25 April*) is followed by tests on perception and interpretation of Space. Students who advance to the third phase will be subject to physical examinations and, finally, to an interview.

“We have designed a selection process that seeks to reflect, in part, the selection of astronauts, taking into account several components, and intending to reach all students in the country,” says the head of educational projects of the Portuguese Space Agency, Marta Gonçalves. “That’s an essential component of this initiative: we want all eligible students from all Portuguese districts to be able to apply to Astronaut for a Day. We aim to promote equal access to this opportunity,” she adds.

The 30 finalists of the competition will be ambassadors of this initiative to their school community during the 2022/2023 school year. In addition, they will become responsible for reporting and disseminating their experience to their classmates and teachers, helping to cultivate and stimulate interest in Space.

“Ciência Viva collaborates with the Portuguese Space Agency in this challenge, which will be a unique experience for all the young participants. And this experience does not last only one day: there will be moments that the students will remember for life and tell their colleagues and families about. This is another initiative that Ciência Viva is involved in to promote young people’s choice of careers in science and technology,” explains Ana Noronha, executive director of Ciência Viva.

The Astronaut for a Day contest is part of a broader initiative from the Portuguese Space Agency called Zero-G Portugal, which aims to raise awareness of the possibilities and benefits of Space.

[*Final deadline for applications has been extended from April 17 to April 25]