A space experiment in the Austrian Alps

The Alpbach Summer School 2016 took place between July 12 and 21 and was attended by 58 students from 18 member countries of the European Space Agency. European Space Agency (ESA). António Cabaços, from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), Diogo Paraíso, from the Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) and Jorge Monteiro, from the University of Beira Interior (UBI), were the Portuguese students selected to take part in the Alpbach experience.

The theme of the 40th edition of the Alpbach Summer School was the Global Water Cycle. Under the premise that "the presence of water on planet Earth, whether in liquid or solid form, is one of the defining characteristics and an absolute prerequisite for the existence of Life", the students were challenged to design and plan innovative satellite missions that would contribute to observing the critical elements of the water cycle.

Grouped into four teams, Green, Red, Orange and Blue, the participants were able to develop their ideas under the guidance of experienced researchers and engineers from the fields of space science and technology.

Diogo Paraíso, a student at IST, was part of the Green team called WAVE-E - Water Vapour European-Explorer. The presentation of a satellite mission for more accurate forecasting of atmospheric phenomena and climate change was awarded the "Science" and "Best Presentation" prizes.

The Orange team, entitled SWEAT - Snow Water Equivalent with AlTimetry, by Jorge Monteiro from UBI, presented a model to measure the amount of ice present in the sea and on land in the polar regions with the aim of contributing to understanding the influence of the water cycle on the Earth's energy balance. This work won the "Competitiveness" prize.

The Red, CoastSat team of FEUP student António Cabaços was also awarded a "Special Oscar". The satellite mission entitled "Measuring Water Quality in Coastal Regions using remote sensing" proposes a solution for measuring water quality in coastal regions, rivers and lakes. "Keep the oceans clean!" was the motto that impressed the jury.

For 10 days, the participants in the Alpbach program lived a unique experience of learning and socializing with leading experts in space science and technology. They had the opportunity to work as part of a team in a scientific context and to foster friendships with people from different nationalities.

The Alpbach Summer School is a summer school in Space Sciences aimed at undergraduate students in the fields of Exact Sciences and Engineering. It is organized by the Austrian Aeronautics and Space Agency and sponsored by ESA, as well as the national authorities of ESA's member and partner countries. One of the partners of the Alpbach summer program is the International Space Science Institute (ISSI).

Portugal has been a member of ESA since 2000. The Foundation for Science and Technology, through the Space Office, is the national entity that promotes the activities of the Portuguese Delegation, promoting the participation of companies and national R&D institutes in ESA's space programs, including the programs implemented under the ESA-European Union Framework Agreement.

Image credits: MA Jakob(2016 Alpbach Summer School participants) | www.esa.int