Saturday, December 17, 2011

Ecuador Signs Launch Contract with Russia (Dec 13, 2011)

An invitation to witness the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE), the Ecaudorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA), and the Netherlands company ISIS sign the contract needed to launch into orbit the first Ecuadorian satellite, NEE-01 PEGASUS, on board a Russian Dnepr RS20 launch vehicle operated by KOSMOTRAS from the Yasny cosmodrome on October 2012.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Rocket Launching! (Student authors)

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Students Conduct Live Video Chat with Ecuadorian Astronaut (Digital Storytelling)

Second grade students describe their experiences in learning about Ecuador's first satellite, Pegasus. Through interviewing one another, the students tell of the satellite's unveiling, making paper models, and conducting a live Skype chat with one of its creators - Ecuadorian astronaut, Commander Nader.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

April 2011: Ecuador's First Satellite


On April 4th, Ecuador had the pride of unveiling its first satellite to the world!

Second grade students conduct a live video chat with astronaut Ronnie Nader to learn more about Ecuador's Pegasus satellite! Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/user/solbergmargot#p/a/u/0/4N60fKb20Lk.








Sept 27 - Oct 1, 2010: 61st International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Prague, Czech Republic






This Fall I had the privilege of presenting a paper at the 61st International Astronautical Congress, co-written with Commander Ronnie Nader (our Ecuadorian astronaut from the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency – EXA), titled ―A Satellite in the Classroom: 2nd Grade Students Work with Real-Time Satellite Images‖. This annual event was an opportunity for space agencies and professionals worldwide to present their most recent accomplishments with one another, and consisted of a compilation of more than 3,000 scientists, engineers, heads of agencies, educators, outreach personnel and more; all of whom collaborated and networked with one another in the name of space exploration (see www.iac2010.cz). It was within this unique environment that Academia Cotopaxi, in partnership with EXA and its MINOTAUR/ HERMES-Delta internet gateway, had the opportunity to share how its second grade students have been able to track, download, analyze and share real-time satellite images...in essence, utilize a virtual ground station in the classroom! The paper was successfully presented during the first session, titled ―Lift off – Primary and Secondary Space Education‖; and for those who are interested, can be located at our class website: http://www.cotopaxi.k12.ec/SchoolSite/default.aspx?IdTab=284 (see Documents Folder at the bottom).

Sept 2008 onward: Satellite in the Classroom




As a pilot program with the Ecuadorian Civilian Space Agency (EXA), second grade students download real-time satellites in order to bring education alive in the classroom. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics are applied through hands-on, and immediately applicable means.


June 2008: Ecuador's Microgravity Plane



Witness to Guinness Book of World Records feat by EXA: youngest person to experience microgravity.

November 2008: Speaking with the International Space Station

Through NASA's ARISS department, students at Academia Cotopaxi speak with US astronaut Michael Finke, via HAM Radio.


2007-2008: NASA Microgravity Plane

High school students at Academia Cotopaxi conduct an exothermic, chemistry experiment aboard NASA's C9 Microgravity Plane.