Be like Chris: Empowering Thai Students to Reach for the Stars on Space Day 2024

“No dream is too big.” – Lieutenant Colonel and NASA astronaut (retd.) Charles “Sam” Gemar.

Space Day 2024 is a joint collaboration between The Bright Group & BFITS Thailand and SkillUp Global & Starlight Education Group. Their amazing partners include the Ministry of Education (กระทรวงศึกษาธิการ), Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (กระทรวงการอุดมศึกษา วิทยาศาสตร์ วิจัยและนวัตกรรม), NARIT สถาบันวิจัยดาราศาสตร์แห่งชาติ, GISTDA สำนักงานพัฒนาเทคโนโลยีอวกาศและภูมิสารสนเทศ (องค์การมหาชน), Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, and The Nation Thailand.

It was also an event proudly supported by sponsors KCG Corporation, SukishiIntergroup ปิ้งย่างสไตล์เกาหลี และอาหารญี่ปุ่น, CP All, True Corporation, General Beverage, and Jobsdb Thailand.

• Wednesday, July 31st, Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok.
• Thursday, August 1st, Play La Ploen, Buriram. 

These were the dates and locations for the eagerly anticipated “Inspiring the Future of Space Technology” or Space Day events, which took place to great fanfare among all of the attending schools and among all of the excited participants, students, and teachers alike.

I attended the event on Thursday, August 1st, at Play La Ploen – เพ ลา เพลิน บุรีรัมย์ , a beautiful resort located approximately 35km outside the city of Buriram. My school, Buriram Pitthayakhom (BP) School, traveled with 30 students and a small number of teachers, of whom I was delighted to be one.

Luckily for us, it was quite a short journey to the event location. As we arrived at about 8.30 am, we met many other schools from different parts of Isaan (Northeastern Thailand) and proceeded to queue up for registration. This ran very smoothly (it would turn out to be reflective of the whole day, which would also run like clockwork), and before we knew it, we were ready to shuffle inside the main building for the opening ceremony.

Inside the building there was a main stage from which various speakers throughout the day would address us. The room was filled with approximately 26 round tables, with each table clearly labelled for each school to take. The students would sit here while the teachers such as myself would be seated towards the back of the room.

Later we would all very much be involved in the action for the “hands-on” activities and to provide encouragement to our students. I am not sure of the exact numbers, but I believe there were about 200 students in total at the Buriram event, and I am reliably aware that the number of students in Bangkok was just north of that. And boy, were they the lucky ones, for what was to come was truly an inspiring and thoroughly educational experience. 

A 5-minute introductory video was shown to create an engaging atmosphere, and it truly captivated everyone in attendance, leaving us all excited and eager for what was next. Following this, Mr. Nicholas Newell, the Managing Director of The Bright Group, officially commenced the event with an inspiring speech that effectively set the tone for the day’s proceedings.

Then it was time for the grand entrance of former NASA astronaut Charles “Sam” Gemar, and how grand it proved to be as he emerged through the main entrance in a cloud of fog or haze, like what you see in the movies when a spaceship door opens.

Darting up to the main stage to assume his position, Sam proceeded to regale his captive audience with his many tales of space exploration, the training and sacrifices involved, the fears and joys of his incredibly impressive career, and how any of the students sitting in the room right now listening could also do the same if that is their dream and if they apply themselves in the right way.

Sam then conducted the first of two question-and-answer sessions, during which he fielded many interesting queries about space travel and the effects it can have on you physically when you return to Earth after an extended trip. He answered one particular question from an engaged student about how, when preparing for a trip, astronauts must enter a one-week quarantine period so as not to catch any illnesses.

This is particularly important if you have young children as they are more susceptible to sickness due to doing what young kids do (playing outside in the mud and the grass, etc.) I had never thought of this, but it makes perfect sense. Sam must have spent almost 30 minutes answering various questions from a selection of students, and a great deal was understood by the end.

Next, it was onto the first of our two “hands-on” STEM activities. Here, our students, with some encouragement from us teachers and Sam, would get creative and build their own space shuttle.

The better the build, the further it should be able to fly. This task helped bring space engineering to life. There was also a time limit on this, which focused the students’ minds.

The second activity for the students to take part in was to build a structure or a tower of some kind and to make it as tall as they possibly could. This involved the students first sketching a design for their tower and then using the materials (spaghetti, tape, and string) provided to try to make it a reality. This proved to be a very worthwhile introduction to the engineering design process, and the results varied and were very entertaining.

Students were asked about the most important part of their structure, and most replied that it was the base that helped to provide a solid foundation. Once the structure was complete, students were asked to try to balance a single marshmallow on top to see how solid it really was. Sam was on hand, as always, to provide feedback and great encouragement to all of our participants, and I got involved as much as I could with the teams from our school.

After announcing a winner for the best or highest tower Sam then proceeded to take a second question and answer session where he again eagerly and enthusiastically answered all of the many questions from the floor. He was as ever full of intriguing information and spent another 30 minutes or so answering as many questions as the students could think of. 

Before the event was to formally close, a representative from SkillUp spoke to all of the crowd about their platform and the amazing free e-learning opportunities that are available to all.

The event was approaching its conclusion, but there was still the small matter of handing out richly deserved certificates to all of our amazing participants, students, and staff alike. Sam was gracious with his time and kindly agreed to pose for many photos with all of the different schools in attendance. At this point, I managed to have a quick word with him myself and was delighted to say he greeted me as he had all others throughout the event, with a smile and a kind word. 

I myself was asked to give an interview after the event which I was delighted to do. I was asked about the event in general and about how e-learning may be utilised in the future of education. I was also asked about STEM and its importance in the Thailand of now and tomorrow. 

To finish the event, there was an extremely large group photo with astronaut Sam that was the perfect way to round off a highly successful and inspirational day. 

From my own perspective, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time at Space Day 2024. I learned a lot about space travel, and what it takes to be an astronaut, the sacrifices one must make to see this dream come true for those who are dedicated enough. I want to sincerely thank Charles “Sam” Gemar for sharing his time with us and giving an exciting and inspirational talk about his interesting life. 

I was very honoured to be asked to attend this event and I want to extend my gratitude to my school for this opportunity, Buriram Pittyakhom (BP). I also want to thank The Bright Group, BFITS Thailand, SkillUp Global, and Starlight Education Group for organising this superb experience.

Truly, I am confident that the Space Day event has reinforced the importance of STEM in education, inspired a new generation of students, and, indeed, empowered those very same students to reach for the stars.