Ancient Ethiopian religious manuscripts reveal that ancient Ethiopians have a thorough knowledge of astronomy and space science. The ancient Ethiopian manuscripts mainly written in Geez language contain rare knowledge of space science particularly astronomy and stars known to ancient Ethiopians. These manuscripts documented the ancient Ethiopians deep knowledge of space science. They are living testaments that space science is not an area of study reserved for the Western world.
Ethiopia has an indigenous knowledge in the space sector since its ancient civilization. The ancient Ethiopian stargazers have a wide understanding of the stars and the astronomy sector, though this knowledge remains undiscovered for centuries due to different reasons.
After centuries of stalemate, in recent years the space science sector is getting new attention in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is working to exploit the space sector by establishing a Space Science Institute. It is an institute that helps it to administer the sector and the Entoto Observatory and Research Center. It also plays a role to develop researches in space science. Its continuous efforts in the space sector have helped Ethiopia to manage launching its first-ever-remote-sensing satellite in December 2019. On 20 December 2019, Ethiopia launched Ethiopia Remote Sensing Satellite (ETRSS-1) to the space and named December 20 as Ethiopian Space Day.
Since then, Ethiopia is celebrating space day on December 20 annually with different activities mainly in public awareness creation about space science. While celebrating the Space Day in 2020, the then Ethiopia Space Science Institute (the current Ethiopia Space Science and Geo-spatial Institute (SSGI)) organized a recognition program for youths who developed special talent in space science mostly by their own efforts.
While recognizing the talented youths during the space day, SSGI decided to establish a new platform to cultivate the talent of the youth and to develop their talent with continuous trainings. With this dream, Ethio Space Kids Club (ESKC) was established almost three years ago to provide summer trainings for space science talented youths. Immediately, the club started its activities and since the summer of 2021, the club has started accepting talented youths and providing different trainings. The program focuses on youth from elementary to high school students which have special talent and interest in space science.
Last week, SSGI graduated the third batch talented youths trained at ESKC after over two months of training and announced that it is working to expand the program beyond Addis Ababa. There is a plan to take it to other big cities of Ethiopia. In addition, the program was limited to in person training during summer time. But starting this year the program aims to include an online learning platform to provide training service using online platforms, according to SSGI.
Thomas Belay, a 15 year old grade 11 student of Ethio Parents’ School, is among the youths who got the opportunity to join Ethio Space Kids Club (ESKC). Speaking to From Earth to Space program, Thomas said that the training helped him to develop his talent in the space sector. Thomas is among the youths who have special interests in space science. The training has helped him to explore more scientific knowledge. “The training is very helpful for youths to develop the scientific knowledge of the space sector which is vital to explore the talents of youths,” he said.
“We have got deep trainings in types and characteristics of satellites, astronomy and the stars, about the features and characteristics of planets and their orbit systems, geographic information system (GIS) and characteristic features of earth,” Thomas said adding that the training would give the youth a chance to develop scientific knowledge to hone their talents and to live realize their dream of becoming scientists and researchers in space science. “I advise and recommend youths with special talent and interest in space science and astronomy to take the training to develop their talents as the program is continuous,” he noted.
Meron Tamirat is also a grade 11 student at Kidane Meheret School in Addis Ababa. She is among the youths joined the summer space talented youths training, ESKC this year. Meron said that as she is interested in space science, before she joined the training, she loves reading space science books.
The space science training at ESKC helped her to get a broad knowledge about the astronomy, space and planetary science, aerospace engineering, remote sensing, satellites, GIS and other space sectors. “Youths who have special passion to space science have to join the training to explore more knowledge in the sector in their early ages so as to develop their skills. The training helps youths to develop their skills one step forward in space science and astronomy,” Meron reiterated.
Yeshurun Alemayehu (PhD) is Deputy Director-General of Space Science and Geospatial Institute (SSGI) of Ethiopia. Yeshurun said Ethio Space Kids Club was established to train youths who have passion and talent in space science. Following the launching of ETRSS-1 in 2019, December 20 has marked Ethiopia Space Day.
“While celebrating the 2020 Space Day, we recognize kids and youths performing different space activities who presented their works in different media outlets by their own efforts,” Yeshurun stated adding during the recognition program SSGI decided to establish a new platform to support the talent and skills of the youth. Families of the talented youths were also asking the institute to support them and finally ESKC was established to sustainably support and train the space passionate kids.
“The program aims to help the passionate and talented youths to develop their knowledge and skills in the space science. By providing trainings and other continuous supports, the vision of ESKC is to support the talented youths to realize their dream of becoming next space scientists and researchers,” the Deputy Director-General stated. The youth are the next professionals to lead the industry and it is important to cultivate these gifted kids and youths since their early ages.
Aerospace engineering, satellite development, drone development, rocket development, GIS, engineering, science and different application developments are part of the training, according to Yushurun and the training contains both practical and theoretical parts, including software developments. Remote sensing applications, astronomy and astrophysics and generally the space sector are part of the training.
So far, the program was limited to Addis Ababa, Ambo and Debre Berhan, Yushurun said adding since this budget year the institute has planned to start a pilot program in major cities across the regional states so as to expand the program throughout the country. Currently, the training program is providing at Burayu Talent Development Center, the center which was built to support talented innovators to develop their ideas in to entrepreneurship.
“We are in the era of technology and the development of the technology sector is unpredictable especially following the invention of Artificial Intelligence,” Dr. Yushurun underlined adding “to keep abreast with the technological developments and to become competitive, it is critical to invest in the youth generation.”
SSGI Director-General, Abdisa Yilma for his part stated that the center’s goal is beyond providing short term trainings and certifying the youth. It aims to help the talented youths to their skills and knowledge in space science through continuous support. “These youth are the next researchers, astronomers and leaders of the space sector,” he added.
‘What surprises me is that youths who attended the training project since the beginning are starting developing projects. We are happy about the projects developed by the trained youths.” The projects developed by the youth shows that the youth are learning important lessons from the training program. SSGI will expand the project and youths with special talent and passion in space science can join the training programs.
BY DARGIE KAHSAY
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 22 SEPTEMBER 2023
