Andreas Mogensen has met 10,000 children and young people since he began his Denmark tour in the spring of 2024. The purpose of the tour is to give children and young people insight into what it means to be an astronaut and awaken their interest in science, technology, and space travel.
– I have always been fascinated by adventure and exploration myself, and space travel is in many ways a journey of discovery. I am happy to be able to inspire children and young people in the same way that I have had role models as a child, says Andreas Mogensen.
ESA Astronaut Andreas Mogensen giving a talk about the Huginn Mission and his stay at the ISS. Photo: Naturvidenskabernes Hus
The trip around Denmark is based on the 70th expedition to the International Space Station (Huginn mission), where Andreas Mogensen was commander. The post-flight tour included visits to museums, educational institutions and companies, and in the autumn of 2024, he touched ground in Bjerringbro, the House of Natural Sciences and Grundfos.
– Andreas Mogensen plays an important role in inspiring children and young people to take an interest in space. They can mirror themselves in the curiosity and enthusiasm he shows when he meets them, explains Maddy Tizar Hansson, project manager for ESERO Denmark at the House of Natural Sciences.
Championships for electronics technician trainees
Behind a space mission like the one Andreas Mogensen has been on, many actors contribute to its success. Among them are Danish aerospace companies where young apprentices work. In September, four future electronics technicians and apprentices in Danish companies competed in the Danish Championships in Electronics Engineering, which was held in the House of Natural Sciences in collaboration with the Metal Industry’s Education Committee.
Apprentices from Danish companies competed in the Danish Championships in Electronics Engineering. Photo: Naturvidenskabernes Hus
At the final, Andreas Mogensen’s announced the winner, David Spicker Brun from Aarhus Tech College, an apprentice at Terma. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of their work to all four finalists.
– You are all talented and you have done very well. It’s worth celebrating. You are also role models for other young people. Because there is a great value in being good at your job – and you have all proven that today, he said when the winner had been announced.
Luckily, it was not only the four apprentices who benefited from Andreas Mogensen’s visit to Bjerringbro. So did 1,200 primary school pupils, primarily from Viborg Municipality. The students gained insight into the astronaut’s latest space mission, which ended in early 2024.
Science and award ceremony
Andreas Mogensen did not only meet children and young people on his trip around Denmark. In November, primary school teachers benefited from his stories from space during an online conversation with the space company Aquaporin in the House of Natural Sciences.
The topic was recycling of liquids in space and Aquaporin’s water purification technology, which Andreas Mogensen brought with him and tested on the International Space Station.
Later that week, he again visited Bjerringbro, more specifically Grundfos. Here he was a keynote speaker at the Grundfos Prize, which honours young researchers. The prize is awarded by the Grundfos Foundation and aims to support research in the technical and natural sciences.
Grundfos Foundation has supported several of the activities on Andreas Mogensen’s trip to Denmark.
Excerpts from Andreas Mogensen’s trip to Denmark:
- Global Youth Climate Summit at the Climatorium in Lemvig:
Andreas Mogensen gave a presentation online, where he told high school students about his experiences in space and what perspectives it has given rise to on our blue planet. At the climate meeting, the young people worked with climate and water issues.
- Presentation of the Dannebrog:
In October, Andreas Mogensen visited the Science Museums and Aarhus University, where he handed over the Dannebrog he had brought with him on his mission to the International Space Station.