On March 16th 2024, Mario Merino participated in an outreach activity for gifted students at the Instituto Gerardo Diego de Pozuelo de Alarcón in Madrid. The students discovered what is plasma and how we can use it to create very efficient space propulsion systems. They also generated a small plasma in a vacuum tube, and saw in person some of our latest plasma thruster prototypes.
The gifted students program (rograma de Enriquecimiento Educativo para alumnos con altas capacidades de la Comunidad de Madrid – PEAC) is a voluntary and free activity that takes place outside of school hours. It provides students with opportunities to deepen their knowledge in different areas, through experimentation, research and creation. The activities complement the educational response they receive in their schools and allow the interaction of students with similar profiles from different centers and areas of the Community of Madrid.