Space is a lot closer than you think! Not physically, of course. It's still actually really far away. But if you're an Egyptian with dreams of strapping yourself to an skyscraper-sized explosive tube and careening skywards with a David Bowie song in your heart, the Egyptian Space Agency is laying the foundations for that fleeting fantasy to become a practical reality. They've announced the launch of an educational platform for all comers to get their foot in the airlock door and learn all about the basics of space travel.

Due to take off April 2021, the platform will include 17 programmes which are open to students of any age. These programmes will be available at a low cost, and at the end, students will receive a fancy certificate from the Egyptian Space Agency themselves.

Along with the development of a new educational children's cartoon, the Egyptian Space Agency has been launching initiatives like these to develop engagement with space travel among the public. Which is especially pertinent, since they've been working on a 4-year project to send Egyptian astronauts to space themselves.