ASI | Agenzia Spaziale Italiana

A learning initiative to link the world of school with the world of research

The International Space Station is the largest international cooperation programme ever started in the history of Science and Technology: an amazing “orbiting house” that hosts six astronauts and continuously “turns” around our planet, at a speed of 28.000 km/h and at an altitude of about 450 km. A unique laboratory due to the conditions it offers (not just microgravity), where it’s possible to carry out unique experiments. LISS (Lessons on the International Space Station) was born in the school year 2014/15 as a learning pilot project by the Italian Space Agency, aimed at helping everyone to better understand this particular and small “world” and to establish a direct link between the world of school and the world of University and research on space.

The activities proposed in the framework of the LISS project were designed and developed in partnership with four different Universities: the Statale University of Milan, the University of Naples Federico II, the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the University of Sassari, but a key contribution was also provided by the seven Italian astronauts: Franco Malerba, Maurizio Cheli, Umberto Guidoni, Roberto Vittori, Paolo Nespoli, Luca Parmitano and Samantha Cristoforetti.

The textbook born from this experience is divided in six chapters and is available to everyone in its e-book version.

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