Abstract
A space educational program in Tokai University Shonan campus (TUS) was established in 1995 for a purpose of the space science and engineering education. We have mainly two space programs, the one is sounding rocket experiment collaboration with University ofAlaska Fairbanks (UAF) and the other program is development and launch of small hybrid rockets. In January 2000 and March 2002, two collaborative sounding rockets were launched from the launch site in Alaska and all of handmade instruments were successfully carried to the apogees of 79 km and 89km high, respectively. Tokai students made two fluxgate magnetometers and analogue sun sensor, and Alaska students made accelerometers, telemeters, recovery system and so on. The third student sounding rocket is going to launch on March in 2006. In 2001, the first Tokai hybrid rocket was launched at Alaska and Tokai students carried accelerometer, bolometric altimeter and flight computer on the payload. After then, we could have launching experiments at Hokkaido and atAkita in Japan and Tokai five hybrid rockets were launched during 2004-2005. The Tokai space education program provides students with the opportunity for hands on experience to design, to construct, to test sounding rocket payloads and hybrid rockets by use of low cost devices, and to analyze acquisition data after launches. This program has proven to be very effective in providing students with practical, real-world engineering design experience and this also allows students to participate in all phases of a sounding rocket mission. Also students learn scientific knowledge, engineering technique and system management through experiences of cooperative teamwork, presentations and collaborations. In this paper, we introduce the space education program in Tokai and discuss advantages and some problems in promotion of the education.
