Discover Thailand’s Astronaut Scholarship Program, which offers an opportunity for selected Thai children to witness operations at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC), is now accepting applications from Thai youths aged 13-19, who wish to join the program. Applications are open from now until 20th October this year.
A Thai ambassador at the USSRC, Krit Kunplin, has announced that the Discover Thailand’s Astronaut Scholarship Program will continue in Thailand this year for a third year, offering scholarships to three Thai children to experience real space operations at the USSRC.
Applicants will have to take a 100-question test on general knowledge and space history, from which 21 applicants will be selected for further competition in a 3-day, 2-night STEM Camp at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL). Three winners will be selected in a vote by fellow contestants under the supervision of the organizing body.
The program is designed to grant scholarships to well-rounded applicants who are able to demonstrate good knowledge and skills, good relations with colleagues, and leadership qualities.
The three scholarship winners will later experience real operations at the USSRC in Huntsville, Atlanta, USA, particularly rocket building, aircraft and spacecraft navigation, and robot operations in space missions during a 10-day training program in which they will participate in real operations using real equipment. After the program, they will be granted the opportunity to study at the KMITL in any Bachelor’s Degree program according to their interests.
The Discover Thailand’s Astronaut Scholarship Program is financed by the U.S. Department of State, in cooperation with the KMITL. The program received some 1,000 applications last year.
KMITL’s Dean of the International Academy of Aviation Industry (IAAI) Soemsak Yooyen said today the KMITL and USSRC have mutually designed the test, with questions and correct answers from previous year’s examinations available on www.spacecampthailand.com for interested persons to study and practice. The test questions each year have to be approved by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) before being published.
He said the program is open to Thai children and youths aged 13-19 years who are interested in aerospace, and is open to children who are not school students.
Each school in Thailand can send two students to take part in the application stage of the program free of charge, while other applicants not nominated by a school are subject to a 590 baht fee per person.
The program is now accepting applications online until 20th October 2019. The paper test will be taking place on 27th October, with the results announced 20 days after the examination.
