The role of UoSAT spacecraft in space education

Traditionally, the role of satellites within education has been seen as that of a common-carrier for the dissemination of educational materials, particularly into areas poorly served by conventional communications networks. Whilst UoSAT-2 can play this role admirably using its Digital Communication Experiment payload and Bulletin Service, both the UoSAT spacecraft have gone further by providing the first dedicated school´s experiments, which stimulate a growing interest in space technology, both in the UK and abroad, via direct and active participation by school groups. The UoSAT Programme offers schools, colleges and universities a unique opportunity to take a direct part in space research, with the minimum of cost and complexity. The data provided by the two UoSAT satellites are of such a quality and quantity that they are having a significant impact on science teaching in the UK, and fit in very well with the new criteria laid down for the GCSE examinations. Further, a postgraduate Masters Degree Course in Satellite Communications Engineering has been established at the University of Surrey to help prepare student engineers for the space industry. The provision of educational satellites and the establishment of a support network based around the National Resource Centre for Satellites in Education (within the U0SAT Unit) has provided the UK with a valuable resource for the improvement of technical education nationally, whilst also stimulating young people to consider engineering (particularly space engineering) as a career.