Space sciences and technology corner to open in Oman Children’s Museum

Oman Children’s Museum set to open space sciences and technology corner this year

Muscat: The Children’s Museum in Muscat Governorate, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, is witnessing the implementation of a development and rehabilitation plan with the aim of disseminating knowledge in science and technology, displaying modern inventions, and communicating scientific information in a simplified and easy way, in addition to simulating and enhancing the creative spirit.

Dr. Saud bin Humaid Al Shuaili, Director General of the General Directorate of Policy and Governance and Head of the National Space Program at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, said: The museum will launch during the second half of this year 2024 the Space Science and Technology Corner to be an educational and tourism center in the field of science and technology by employing space exploration to inspire students and increase… Their interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

He added in a statement that. “Through the National Space Program, we are rehabilitating the corner in a way that is compatible with space science and technology, and in a way that contributes to achieving the objectives of the program,” explaining that the corner will include a group of educational and recreational facilities and activities, with the aim of encouraging scientific and specialized tourism, and contributing to In strengthening the national economy, creating job opportunities, encouraging scientific hobbies, scientific research, innovation and entrepreneurship among children and young people, and creating a fertile environment for scientific tourism programs and initiatives in the field of space science.

Oman Children’s Museum set to open space sciences and technology corner this year #oman #childrens #museum #spacesciencetech #corner pic.twitter.com/zEKLyZnWpO

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He pointed out that the work on the museum came in two phases at a cost of about half a million dollars (192,500 Omani riyals), as the second phase will end soon, and in the second half of this year the project will be operational to receive visitors.

Eng. Khadija bint Khamis Al Hinai, Head of the Development and Studies Department at the National Center for Space, Advanced Technology and Artificial Intelligence, explained that the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology is working on a project to establish a special corner for space science and technology in the Children’s Museum in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, to be an educational and tourism center in the field of space science and technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to inspire students and families and increase their interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

She said that the importance of this project lies in the fact that astronomy and space sciences are interesting and stimulate the child’s cognitive intelligence. The implementation and financing of the project was divided into two main parts.

The first section included preparing an environment that simulates space and devices that help humans access it, and it consists of a number of tools and equipment such as Models of the International Space Station, a cube satellite, a space rocket, a spacecraft, a corner for astronaut food, an astronaut suit, display screens and virtual reality glasses, noting that Daleel Petroleum Company funded this section with an amount of RO 58,000 and it was implemented by the Innovative Technology Company for Innovation (Innotech), along with providing periodic maintenance for the project for a period of 5 years, with support from the company financing the project in the amount of RO 15,000.

She added that the second section of the project, which is currently being worked on, includes a virtual reality simulator for a spacecraft, and it consists of two cockpits to simulate a scientific and educational space journey to a virtual journey to different stations in the space age using multi-sensory virtual reality techniques. The simulator targets the category Children and youth are school students in the Sultanate.

The Omani Liquefied Natural Gas Company funded the project with an amount of RO 93,000 and it is implemented by the Innovation Factory Company, a leading Omani company in the industry of technical and scientific solutions.

Al Hinai touched on the project to develop a document on space and astronomy concepts in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the Civil Aviation Authority, the National Survey Authority and the Omani Astronomical Society, which includes comprehensive concepts related to space and astronomy sciences, noting that these concepts will be integrated into the various curricula from the first to the twelfth grade. In a scientific manner and in the form of lessons, activities, pictures or questions, which helps provide learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to deal with astronomical concepts, and the skills, values ​​and trends associated with them, and to spread awareness of the importance of astronomy and its impact on the lives of individuals and societies.