Kate Koller (10DLM) attended the July 2019 CASE Space School with NASA and the US Space and Rocket Centre in Houston, Texas and Huntsville Alabama, USA.

The experience was offered through CGHS (as part of the Girl’s Schools of Australiasia CASE Space School Programme coordinated by Actura) and Kate was the only student from CGHS to attend. She attended with a group of 13 year 8-10 students from Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, St Margaret’s College, St Hilda’s College Dunedin and Otago Girl’s High School.

The group was privileged to be with NASA and the USSRC for the 50 year anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. They visited the historic Apollo Mission Control and were part of USSRC’s World Record Rocket Launch to celebrate 50 years since the launch of Apollo 11. Other highlights of Space School included Kate completing a simulated space walk, experiencing 1/6 gravity, completing two missions in a Space Shuttle simulator (one as an astronaut and one as a mission controller), carrying out DNA extraction and shark dissection, and meeting several Astronauts including Nicole Stott.

Kate made many good friends- hundreds of students from around the world attended Space Camp. She was awarded her NASA Space Academy Wings, and was nominated by her USSRC Crew Leader for the Camp-wide leadership award.