DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN INSPIRING EDUCATIONAL WEBSITE FOR THE ISRAELI SPACE AGENCY

摘要

The Israeli Space Agency (ISA) was founded in 1983, and it is operating as part of the ministry of science, technology and space. For decades it was under funded, thus preventing the capability to reaching the general public in efficient way. In the last few years, the funding was dramatically increased, enabling ISA to embark on major outreach activities, including the establishment of a new, educational focused web site. The paper will describe the motivation, the needs, and the rational of characterizing the new website, as well as the working process, that involved a team of experts from various organizations and societies. The author was a leading member of the small team that created the content of the website, as well as its educational products. This involvement, together with 25 years of experience in numerous space education activities in Israel, will provide a wide perspective on the matter, and could help other space faring nations to learn from the Israeli experience, of designing an online outreach mechanism in a relatively short time and on a modest budget.