Kibo-ABC Member Countries' News: Indonesia

Finalists of the Scientific Writing Competition for high school students in Indonesia, "Clinostat Experiment, Space Simulation on Life Science," are conducting simulated microgravity experiments for the final competition in October

The Scientific Writing Competition "Clinostat Experiment, Space Simulation on Life Science" has begun, in cooperation with the School of Life Sciences & Technology, ITB (Institut Teknologi Bandung) and the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN). Using a Clinostat provided by LAPAN, five high school finalists are now conducting experiments in preparation for the final competition on October 10, 2015. A "Clinostat" is an experimental device that simulates microgravity environments, often used to study the effects of microgravity on cell cultures and animal embryos. It has a rotating disc to which the plant or animal cell sample is attached; the sample thus receives equal stimulus on all sides, negating the effects of gravitational pull on plant or cell growth.

The five finalists were selected from among 28 proposals from high schools nationwide. Each experiment will be conducted by a team of three students with one assisting teacher. Finalists were selected by a panel of judges, based on their experiment's feasibility and the potential benefit of its results. The winners of the final competition will be decided by scores based on their experiment's process and results. The first-, second-, and third-place winners will be awarded certificates, trophies, telescopes, and Android tablets! The other two finalists will also be awarded certificates and small telescopes.

These experiment ideas from Indonesia's next generations are highly anticipated to one day grow into ideas for microgravity experiments in the Kibo module on the International Space Station, and to contribute to better utilization of the space environment by Indonesia and other Asia-Pacific countries.

The competition is held as a part of "Space Science Festival," an annual event organized by LAPAN to celebrate World Space Week (worldspaceweek.org). The event encourages students to learn more about space science and astronomy, and also promotes space experiments for better utilization of space technology. There will be an exhibition open to the public, and approximately 200 participants will attend the festival including 150 students already registered. The exhibition will feature reports from last year's observation events, a mini planetarium, games, a bazaar, and an open house for space and atmospheric research laboratories in Indonesia.

For further information, please visit LAPAN's website: http://pussainsa.lapan.go.id/fsa