Proceedings of 4th edition Symposium on Space Educational Activities : April 27th, 28th, 29th 2022, Barcelona, Spain : inspiring through space

Abstract

The 4th Symposium on Space Educational Activities (4th SSEA) was hosted at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) · BarcelonaTech in Barcelona, Spain, from 27th – 29th April 2022. It was co-organized by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UPC. The event represented the 4th edition of a successful Space Education symposium that began at the University of Padova, Italy, in 2015, followed by the 2nd Symposium hosted by the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary, in 2018, and the 3rd Symposium hosted by the University of Leicester, UK, in 2019. This long-awaited edition exceeded all expectations and gathered more than 500 attendees in Barcelona. The 4th SSEA Organizing Committee developed a compelling outreach campaign that reached to more than 2000 departments and universities. It raised support from more than 10 private companies, and it had wide support from the local, regional and country-level institutions. During the three days of the event in UPC’s venue Edifici Vèrtex, the attendees engaged in fruitful research discussions, established connections among the European sector and learned from the latest projects in space education and student-led projects. The transformation of the space sector, as a result of new technology, business and policy trends, creates new challenges for the education system, which must adapt to new sector needs. NewSpace, artificial intelligence, machine learning, additive manufacturing… All these advances create new needs for a more interdisciplinary education. This is the real meaning of an event like the Symposium on Space Educational Activities. Here we present the symposium proceedings that summarize all the presentations held during the event. We also introduce a summary of the symposium organization, events and awards.