An experiment proposed by a UPLB student to be performed on outer space!

An experiment proposal from a Filipino student will be conducted at the International Space Station.

A Pinoy student's experiment proposal got selected by ATZG 2022 (Photo from Philippine Space Agency)

One of the six experiments chosen to be carried out by a Japanese Astronaut

The press release from the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) said that the experiment was submitted by William Kevin Abran from the University of the Philippines Los Banos. 

Abran is an incoming third-year applied physics student at the university. His entry is one of the six experiments chosen to be conducted at the ISS by astronaut Koichi Wakata beginning in autumn.

His proposal, "Rotation of Dumbbell-shaped Objects in Space," is among the 24 international finalists for the Asian Try Zero-G (ATZG) 2022.

According to the PhilSA, the experiment would look at the long-term stability of dumbbell-shaped objects in microgravity, which only has two principal moments of inertia. If the dumbbell shape is proven stable, then there is a high potential to use it when designing spacecraft and other materials.

In an interview with a local magazine, William Abran explained that he designed the experiment to be unique and straightforward because he thought that time and resources in the space station are very limited. He said that he was pretty surprised JAXA still considered it. 

At the end of the interview, the UP student expressed his excitement over the opportunity. He added,

I'm thankful to the Philippine Space Agency for supporting my proposal and helping me improve the design of the experiment. I hope this event sparks the interest of other students in space science.

Eight countries were called for the Asian Try Zero-G (ATZG) 2022, where 201 submissions were accepted from 480 students, engineers and researchers. The proposals were assessed based on scientific significance, novelty, safety, resource requirement, and feasibility.

The ATZG targets the youth in the Asia-Pacific region to expand the use of the ISS and the Japanese experiment module "Kibo" and contribute to sustainable development goals.

If you want to learn more about the proposals, you may click here.

Great job William Abran and other finalists!

Source: Scout Magazine