Mont Tremblant

Another weekend here in Canada usually means another nearby city to explore. And this time, I ventured north of Montréal with some friends to Mont Treblant. 

A sleepy ski-resort in the Laurentian mountains of Quebec, the city is beautiful sans snow. With the blazing summer sun, picturesque lake and artificial beach, it was hard to imagine the place as a snow-capped ski resort in the winter months!

 

 

 We arrived on the weekend of the International Jazz Festival - which made for a relaxing backdrop as we spent our time on the beach, by the lake and generally taking some time out from our very busy schedules at the International Space University's Space Studies Program in Montréal. 

 

We stayed in this cute, family-owned B & B. The owner made us the best French toast I've had and I of course drowned it in Maple Syrup -I'm addicted to the stuff now and even take it in my coffee!

 The highlight of the weekend had to be riding a horse for the very first time. I know, how have I lived the past 24 years of my life and never been on a horse? I get that a lot! Last Sunday morning we toured the hills of Mont Treblant from on top of some very large horses. As a  relatively small person, this was pretty daunting - but I'm glad I finally did it - even if my horse Trixie didn't want to listen to me!

 

 Me and Trixie - we had some ups and downs.

After we were done pretending to be cowboys and cowgirls we spent the afternoon by the Mont Treblant lake before driving only 1 hour and a half home to Montréal. 

It's great to be back and in the middle of Department Activities (DA's). My department, Human Performance in Space (HPS) is going well so far. Once DA time is over next week I'll be sure to write a blog post about space life in the HPS Department and at SSP14 - but for now I'm off to get some well-needed rest (ISU - also is known as the Insufficient Sleep University)!

-Nikita

Québec City

Spending the summer in Montreal means that I'm pretty close to some amazing cities. One of which being Québec City. Last weekend some friends and I drove 2 and a half hours north of Montreal to the beautiful capital city of the province of Québec.

The aptly named city is the oldest European settlement in North America. Winding cobblestone roads are the norm here, so much so that it's easy to forget you're in Canada and feel as though you're strolling the streets of Paris. 

This street in particular reminded me of the Parisian Montmartre. A famed tourist spot - I was told I couldn't leave Québec City without taking a photo here. 

Montmorency Falls was by far the highlight of the trip. The stunning waterfall flows on the Montmorency River and is 30 metres higher than Niagara Falls. We walked up a winding staircase beside it as apposed to taking the cable car - a decision I at first was hesitant about but the views were totally worth it :)

We got pretty up close and personal with the waterfall in this shot! It's incredible being so close to such a powerful force of nature such as this.

This area of Québec City is called the Old Port.  What appears to be a castle or a palace in the first photo is in fact a hotel. Le Château Frontenac was built in 1893 and is said to be the most photographed hotel in the world. It certainly is impressive, as are the views from the pier looking out across the Fleuve Saint-Laurent. 

It was a wonderfully warm weekend in Quebec and a great break from the busy SSP schedule. We've had the opportunity to attend some very interesting panels and events so far and I will write a blog post on SSP life so far very soon :)

Nikita

Space Studies Program 2014: Montreal, Canada

The day I wrote my last blog post was also the day I packed my bags and flew across the Atlantic Ocean to Canada - Montréal to be exact. A 6 and a half hour plane journey and lots of apple juice (my go-to in-flight beverage) later, I landed at Montréal-Trudeau airport. After spending just a few days here I've noticed that the city is a unique blend of Europe and North America. The Montréal skyline resembles both concrete jungle and actually jungle - with shades of grey and green complementing each other perfectly.

                               

I'll be spending the next 9 weeks here working as a Teaching Associate (TA) for the International Space University - the very place I earned my Masters in Space Studies last year and also participated in the 2012 Space Studies Program (SSP) which was held that year in Florida. If you'd like a glimpse of life as a participant first before I tell you all about what it's like to staff the SSP then read my first ever blog post here. Otherwise, I'll give you a brief overview of what exactly I'm up to this summer.

                        

During my time here, I'll be working as staff for the ISU summer program. We are kindly hosted by École de technologie supérieure (ETS) and HEC Montréal - two world- renowned engineering & technology and business institutions that have established a close cooperation for space related activities. 

                                   

SSP teaches it's participants about space through various perspectives, each of which have their own Deparment. Ranging from Space Humanities and Space Management & Business to Space Sciences and Space Engineering - ISU has a truly interdisciplinary, intercultural and international approach to teaching. The Department I am the TA for is Human Performance in Space (HPS).

The human side of space is explored within my Department. Understanding how the human body reacts and adapts to the space environment is a major factor to travelling through our solar system and beyond - and the HPS Department will delve into the depths of space medicine, biology, psychology and physiology this summer.

                          

I'm looking forward to writing future blog posts on the exciting visits we have planned as part of the Department. Two of which are  a trip to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) as well as a one on one discussion with astronauts about living and working in space and the ins and outs of life in orbit. Other subjects that will be covered are spacesuit design, neurobiology and planetary surface exploration by humans using a rover. Diego Urbina of the long-term isolation experiment Mars 500 will also run two workshops on this subject.

               

This is a photo from the day the rest of the SSP14 staff got our staff shirts before welcoming over 120 participants on registration day last weekend. Being at SSP as staff this time around is a different way of experiencing the summer. The summer of 2012 and my Masters year were amazing and most of the staff this year are graduates of my SSP12 and MSc13 classes - so it's great to be surrounded by friends working together to make this SSP as wonderful as we can for this year's participants. 

I'll be sure to write an updated blog post once lectures are in full-swing and I have more photos to share :)

Au revoir!

-Nikita

Goodbye Germany

I've spent the first half of this year working as a Science Communication intern at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and it's sadly my last day in the German state of Bavaria. My time in Munich has completely flown by. I watched the seasons change from icy and dark winter and then springtime blossom, to the summer sun. It's hard to believe that I'm leaving soon but I'd say the time has passed by in a flash due to my love of the work, city and people I've met here. 

The flags of ESO's 15 member states stood tall in the morning, Munich springtime sun this particular day — a Committee Meeting was taking place and the flags are saved for such occasions. I've been told that the winter this year was exceptionally mild compared to chilly Munich standards and spring definitely sprung early this year as the city has been in full bloom.

I arrived in Munich on New Years Day and had some incredible opportunities such as visiting the Columbus Control Centre and the stunning Austrian city of Vienna,  but most importantly I learnt first-hand how to communicate cutting-edge astronomical science to the masses and how to do it well.

The people I've met and friends I've made have made me feel at home in this new city and I'm looking forward to returning one day, hopefully in the near future. The past 5 months have been an incredible learning curve both personally and professionally — I've gained a range of skills and experiences that I believe will better equip me for whatever lies in store for me next. 

Adorable teddy in lederhosen — the perfect leaving present! 

Speaking of what's next... I'm flying to my summer home of Montreal this weekend as I begin work at the International Space University (ISU) Space Studies Program (SSP) 2014. The summer course is an intense 9-week educational immersion into the space industry. I actually was a student of this summer program back in 2012. You can read my blog post on my Florida space camp story here. 

This time around though, I'll be returning as a Teaching Associate for the Human Performance in Space (HPS) Department. I'll be sure to write a blog post with more details very soon :) For now though, I'm not quite ready to leave Munich, but looking forward to some change.

-Nikita

Chronicles From Concordia

Today, my friend and International Space University classmate Adrianos Golemis is embarking on a year-long Antarctic adventure. 
Braving harsh temperatures as low as -80˚C, Adrianos will reside alongside 13 others in Concordia Station, Antarctica. Established in 2005, Concordia is a remote research base located 3200m above sea-level. It shares a great deal of characteristics with a long-duration space mission, isolation and confinement to name just a few. The station is inaccessible for 9 months during the winter and due to extreme frost and icy winds, the crew are unable to venture further than 1 km around the base with precaution. Shrouded in a blanket of darkness for many months, Concordia Station is a challenging place to live for a month, let alone a year. 

However, the unique conditions found in Antarctica are a valuable tool for humanity to explore the limits of the human body and mind when faced with such environmental extremes and as a result, an excellent analogue platform for research into space medicine.  Analogous to human settlers onto a planet once humanity has advanced to space colonisation, Concordia Station requires total autonomy during the winter, as will a human base on another planet.

Adrianos will therefore pretty much experience a year in the life of an astronaut living on a planet other than Earth. Pretty amazing way to spend a year if you ask me.
 Adrianos, who originates from Greece will join the crew as the European Space Agency sponsored Medical Doctor. There, he will conduct physiological and psychological research during his time at the station and has written his first blog entry, Chronicles from Concordia on the ESA site here.

"This year the lucky one to go is me. “Lucky” might sound a bit funny to your ears if you consider that we are about to travel to the infinite white desolation that is Dome Circe. But there are great returns to be discovered in such a journey, and after giving it much thought, I yearn to go."

Good Luck Adrianos!  Say hi to the penguins from me :)

Follow Adrianos on his journey at the Concordia Base Log here and on Twitter here

-Nikita

Graduation

Credit: David Gaston Sulitzer

My time as an International Space University (ISU) student has now drawn to a close! Last week, around 50 students from the MSc13 class returned from their internships across the globe to quaint old Strasbourg town. Located on the border to Germany, the French city has been my home for the year (see my blog post here). I've made lifelong friends, memories and learnt more about who and what I want to be in the years to come. 

I began as an ISU Space Studies Program (SSP) student back in the summer of 2012. You might remember it from my 'This one time at space camp' blog post found here. The program is held in a different place every year and I was fortunate to attend the 25th (and best!) one of all in Florida. Witnessing 2 rocket launches and Space Shuttles Endeavor and Atlantis made it an incredible taster of what ISU has to offer. And I was not dissapointed with the Masters program. From trips to Russia, Toulouse, Switzerland, Germany and finally my internship in San Francisco at NASA Ames Research Center this summer, I've had the time of my life. After presenting my project 'The New Media Innovation Team at NASA Ames Research Center' to faculty, I graduated the following week with a Masters in Space Studies! I  am now one of the 3500 ISU alumni scattered across the planet.

I hope you've enjoyed following my ISU journey as much as I have loved writing and sharing it with you. I will no doubt continue with space and science posts and definitely, more space adventures to come! 

-Nikita

p.s If you have an interest in space and would like to learn about how you can make a difference to help humanity become a spacefaring species, then I'd recommend ISU for you, regardless of your academic background. Find out more on the programs ISU has to offer here and I promise, you'll join a space family like no other. 

Fly Me To The Moon

Going to the Moon is so 1960s I hear you say? Not anymore my friend. Space company Moon Express plan to not only go to the Moon, but mine it whilst they are there. Founded by my university's co-founder Bob Richards of the International Space University (ISU) with entrepreneurs Naveen Jain and Barney Pell, the privately-funded lunar resource company is headquartered in the NASA Ames Research Park, California. It is there, that they are using a unique blend of  the agile Silicon Valley start-up approach with aerospace engineering and planetary sciences expertise to put their plans into action.

Resources of economic value such as Yttrium, Dysprosium, Nyobium that are rare on Earth are what the rovers built by the Moon Express team will look for and extract. By providing people with such resources, they are focused on opening up the resources of the Moon for the benefit of humanity. 

With this long-term goal in mind, developing and eventually offering commercial lunar robotic transportation and data services is what the company is also working on. Most recently, MoonEx (as they are also known) announced their collaboration with the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) in order to conduct the world's first mission to the Moon's South Pole. Using the Moon Express robotic lander, an International Lunar Observatory (ILA) will be delivered to the Moon's surface. There, it will be the first instrument ever to photograph and listen to the Universe from the Lunar perspective. Finally! The Moon will be lonely no more (sorry Moon).

As well as all of the incredible above plans, MoonEx are striving towards winning the Google Lunar X PRIZE, an international lunar competition with the incentive of a $20M first prize. It really is a race to the Moon. Again.

Last week, Bob hosted my ISU friends and I with lunch at MoonEx HQ where he shared fond stories of the past and inspirational dreams of the future of ISU. We then began a tradition of visiting a tree planted at NASA Ames in memory of Todd B. Hawley, ISU co-founder and space visionary. I do hope that future ISU interns at NASA Ames continue this tradition in the many years to come.

"Together we shall aspire to the stars with wisdom, vision and effort". - From the ISU Credo

-Nikita 
  

Making Space Accessible: NanoSatisfi

They say that when you love your job, you never work a day in your life. That's exactly what the guys at revolutionary space company, NanoSatisfi strongly believe in. Nestled in the heart of San Francisco, three International Space University graduates (like myself) work towards making space more affordable and accessible for everybody. Together, Peter Platzer, Jeroen Cappaert and Joel Spark juggled ISU exams, lectures, team projects and summer internships with creating a business plan and running a Kickstarter campaign. This all took place in 2012 and now, a year later the company has achieved great success with their main products, miniature cubic satellite ArduSat and ArduSat Academy. I visited NanoSatisfi HQ to learn more from the guys about their journey and what they think is the key to unlocking both happiness and success.

Based out of a collective workspace provided by tech incubator Lemnos Labs, CEO Peter Platzer treated my friends and I with a breakfast array of coffee, pastries and orange juice, before taking a seat on the office floor (there were 12 of us!) and answering our questions with Jeroen and Joel. We were keen to find out how exactly they succeeded at both university and starting a company and they provided us with a great deal of advice towards achieving our dreams, no matter what. Using the example of the 4 minute mile, Peter described how something can only be achieved when you believe it can be. Simply because it is thought to be impossible, does not make it so. The fact that this is merely a state of mind signifies a gap in the market and consequently an opportunity for you to change this thought process.

NanoSatisfi CEO, Peter Platzer holding a prototype of the ArduSat payload package (Source: Space Fellowship)

 

NanoSatisfi co-founders, Jeroen Cappaert and Joel Spark

Beginning his career as a high-energy physicist at CERN, Peter completed an MBA at Harvard before heading to Wall Street. However space exploration called. I asked Peter what NanoSatisfi meant to him personally & professionally: 

" NanoSatisfi is the culmination of my personal mission statement to have an positive impact on the world, and professionally it is a happy return to my early career aspirations as a physicist and to my passion for space exploration.  These were put on hold for 15 years while I worked in business and waited for a time when the commercialization of space would make it possible to do something impactful without relying on the whims of government budgets.  NanoSatisfi has allowed me to do that, and I am lucky that both personally and professionally I have found a way to be doing something that I love and exactly what I am meant to be doing at this point in my career." - Peter Platzer, CEO NanoSatisfi

Together with aerospace engineer Joel and mechanical engineer Jeroen, the team are driven to  providing regular people with affordable, convenient and on-demand access to space. Their two main products include ArduSat, which allows the public to buy time to run their own experiments, games or applications on board the satellite for as low as $250 a week. Their ArduSat Academy offers training on program design and building, bringing the magic of space science closer to people like you and me. 

ArduSat illustration (Source: Science Business)

Meeting people that exactly a year ago were in my position as an ISU Masters student on their summer internship gave me a strong sense of motivation to achieve similar success. I left NanoSatisfi feeling as though I can and will accomplish anything that I put my mind to. And it really is as simple as that. 

Follow @NanoSatisfi for fun space facts, updates and all-round entertaining140 retweet-worthy characters

- Nikita