13 April 2023
Class 4B of the Oskar Spiel-Gasse primary school and class 4B of the Reichsapfelgasse primary school are used to getting up early: On 13 April 2023, all children arrived at 6.00 am sharp in front of the Technisches Museum Wien for departure by coach.
The trip took them to Schärding/Suben Airport, where this team of THIS IS (NOT) ROCKET SCIENCE! had the opportunity to watch the only rocket launch in Austria: At the finals of the ESERO CanSat Competition, three groups (all senior pupils) brought self-built CanSats to an altitude of about 500 m by a rocket of the TU Wien Space Team. They were then released from the rocket to make the respective measurements and complete their “missions” during their descent.
The primary school pupils also had the opportunity to attend the “Spacecraft Materials” workshop organised by ESERO Austria, where they (accompanied by ESERO mascot PAXI and the ESERO Austria team) explored what materials are suitable for space travel. This also helped pass the waiting time, because, as the case may be with rocket launches, the weather conditions have to be right and all components need to be tested several times, which all takes time. An unscheduled helicopter launch of the Austrian Automobile, Motorcycle and Touring Club (ÖAMTC), explanations of the senior pupils on their self-built CanSats and exercises to keep warm helped bridge the waiting time in the cold and damp weather in Schärding.
Finally: All children counted down from 10 – and: Mission completed! Congratulations to the 2023 winning team of the Werndlpark grammar school in Steyr!
We thank...
- all children who got up soooo early!
- our partner ESERO Austria
- our partner TU WIEN SPACE TEAM
