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This year, more than 8.5 thousand schoolchildren from all regions of Russia took part in the competition. They have come a long way since October 4, 2022, spending months of work on their research projects in rocket and space engineering, aerospace engineering, information technology, power plant engineering, robotics and mechatronics, and interdisciplinary research.
As a result, 118 students entered the Sputnik finals. Authors of the best research works came to Samara together with their parents and supervisors to get acquainted with laboratories, scientists and researches of one of the leading universities in cosmonautics and aviation in Russia, attend lectures by major scientists and receive information about the advantages of higher education in Samara region.
At the opening of the third stage, rector Vladimir Bogatyrev addressed the participants.
“I am glad to welcome you at Samara University. I understand how difficult and exciting it was to pass through all stages of the competition and come here, to Samara. Believe me, we also appreciate that Russia’s smartest and most proactive school students have come to our university,” emphasized the rector. “You have chosen the Sputnik contest; it means that you are interested in space, and our university, as one of the leading aerospace centres of the country, has something to offer you in this field. The university is changing rapidly — we are creating new laboratories and design bureaus, implementing modern digital and VR technologies, changing learning formats, and opening new educational programs. By 2030, Samara University will have its own training and production facilities for manufacturing small spacecraft and gas turbine engines. These areas are now extremely relevant for the country and the world. I invite you to visit the university’s research laboratories and see for yourself what our scientists are up to.”
The schoolchildren will learn how satellites are assembled in the laboratories of the Inter-University Department of Space Research, visit the Ground Control Complex for Small Satellites, see in real time how the university scientists receive information from their own satellite constellation in orbit, visit the Department of Space Engineering named after General Designer D. I. Kozlov in the operation and research building.
The contestants will also be able to attend events dedicated to such topics as Power Plants and Information Technologies by Sputnik industrial partners — representatives of Rostec State Corporation and Sberbank educational project “School 21”.
This year, students will also have an opportunity to communicate with special guests — science popularizers and science journalists, whose works and media projects they often refer to. This is Denis Prudnik, lecturer of the Russian Znanie Society, participant in the selection for cosmonaut corps, and Ilya Ovchinnikov, Head of the Development Department of the Education of the Future company, spacecraft specialist. Science ambassadors will deliver lectures on “How Do Astronauts Prepare for Space Flight?”, “Scientific Research Onboard a Spacecraft”, “How to Develop a Satellite and Test It in a Stratospheric Launch”, and “Achievements and Prospects of the Space Industry”.
A special feature of this year’s competition were activities for the parents of participants who arrived at the third stage of the competition. A lecture about the choice of profession, popular directions of training and the subtleties of entering the budget form of education will be delivered for them by the Executive Secretary of the Admissions Committee of Samara University Sergey Goryainov, and they will also be offered excursions to the Air and Space Museum and the Aviation Engines History Centre.
Completion of the third stage of Sputnik contest is also the beginning of the most anticipated event for schoolchildren — the dedicated space session at Artek ICC. This year it will take place in Crimea from April 10 to May 1, with the support of young scientists and lecturers of Samara University.
For reference:
Sputnik All-Russian contest of young research engineers with international participation for students of 7–11 grades of schools in Russia and abroad, organized by Samara National Research University, is being held in the academic year 2022/2023 for the seventh time. It is part of the agglomeration of space competitions “Planet Watch” by the Foundation for the Promotion of Innovation.
