Since 2017 the Italian Space Agency (ASI) participates to so-called 'Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro' (i.e. 'school-work synergy') outreach projects promoted by the Italian government, and the ASI Space Science Data Center (SSDC) actively contributes to them, with the primary aim of bringing students closer to space-related activities before choosing…

Recent and exciting discoveries in astronomy and cosmology have inspired many high school students to learn about these fields. A particularly fascinating consequence of general relativity at the forefront of modern cosmology research is gravitational lensing, the bending of light rays that pass near massive objects. Gravitational lensing enables…

Scientists and teachers have worked together to produce teaching materials for the Very Small Radio Telescope (VSRT), an easy-to-use, low-cost apparatus that can be used in multiple laboratory experiments in high school and university physics and astronomy classes. In this article, we describe the motivation for the VSRT and several of the…

Exploring the Solar System in the elementary school curriculum has traditionally involved activities, such as building scale models, to help students visualize the vastness of space and the relative size of the planets and their orbits. Today, numerous websites provide a wealth of information about the sun and the planets, combining text, photos,…

Following a discussion of scientific opportunities for astronomy (galaxies and the universe, stars, and planets/life/intelligence), four programs recommended by the National Academy of Sciences' Astronomy Survey Committee are described, indicating areas that must be strengthened before undertaking the programs. Ongoing projects are also…

The Federal Republic of Germany's space policy is designed to promote basic research, contribute to the development of space technology, and apply the findings in the public and private sectors. It is also aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the West German space industry and helping countries of the Third World to solve their development…

The Hubble Space Telescope project is described. Discussed are the project directors, construction, launch, deployment, hazards, rationale, and hope of the project. (CW)

This report describes a program that was designed to provide non-academic disaffected students as well as college-bound high school students with a meaningful and positive educational experience in science in order to bridge the gap between science and the citizen in a technological world. The program, designed as a full year elective course,…