As tutors, Diego Almendro Wieczorek and Manuel Baldaia, guided the high school students through all stages of the project, including the design, manufacturing, testing and launch of a stratospheric balloon. Baldaia supported the organisation of the project, the structural design of the payload and the manufacturing of components, while Almendro Wieczorek focused on component selection, electronics design and software development.
The project highlights the concept of “students as teachers,” with university students sharing their knowledge and experience with the next generation of engineers.
“It was a very rewarding experience,” say Almendro Wieczorek and Baldaia.
“The students were highly motivated and eager to learn. We learned how to explain complex engineering concepts in a simple way and gained a better understanding of how different people approach learning and problem-solving.”
While the teams in Kiruna and Toulouse developed their balloons separately, they worked towards the same experimental objectives, allowing results to be compared and strengthening the international dimension of the project.
Beyond the technical aspects, the experience gave Almendro Wieczorek and Baldaia valuable insights into Swedish culture and education, while helping them develop important communication and leadership skills.
“We realised how different cultures can complement each other in a workplace. It was inspiring to see how the Swedish students worked and developed throughout the project.”
One of the most memorable moments came after the launch, when the EXPLORA II payload landed 10 kilometres from the nearest road and around 90 minutes from Kiruna. Together with the students, Almendro Wieczorek and Baldaia joined the recovery effort and successfully retrieved the payload from the Swedish forest.
“The recovery was an absolute adventure. It was a very fun and unusual experience, and we are glad we took the opportunity to be involved.”
The mentorship exchange took place within the UNIVERSEH work package 7 initiative: Service to society.
