Zignature Marketing Company Limited, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Central Pattana Public Company Limited (CPN), Thailand Space and Aeronautics Research (TSR) and International Youth Astronomy and Space Academy (IYASA) have established in South East Asia the Discover Thailand’s Astronaut Scholarship Program, which is a space-exploration scholarship competition project supported by the U.S. Embassy in Thailand.
Winners of the scholarship will be Thailand’s representatives to experience an introduction to space during a six-day Advanced Space Academy Program at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, which is located adjacent to the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.
Advanced Space Academy gives an overview of American space programs from historical milestones to current affairs. The curriculum is conducted by U.S. Space Camp staff who incorporate NASA curriculum into the program that promotes science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Discussions will include such topics as the current space program, the Space Launch System (SLS), and the mission to colonize Mars. The scholarship recipients will experience simulated astronaut training on equipment adapted from NASA’s astronaut training program. They will suit up for a simulated mission to the International Space Station or train for positions in mission control.
An eligible applicant will have to be a Thai student between the ages of 14 and 18 on the day of the registration. All applicants will have to pass the SCAT (Space Camp Aptitude Test), which is composed of 100 English language multiple-choice STEM questions. Basic knowledge on physics, dynamics, logic and general knowledge on space explorations will be tested. No more than 20 applicants with the highest scores will be selected to the final round at the STEM Camp for three days and three nights at the KMITL. The finalists will have to compete on inventions and innovations, where STEM knowledge and skill will be used for the full throttle. Only those who get the highest votes from their peers and referees will be selected to receive the U.S. Scholarship.
