I was tremendously excited that students from St Margaret’s College had an opportunity to attend Space School this year. Our middle school students were fortunate to form an alliance with girls from local Christchurch and Otago Schools. Our senior students formed a group with some Australian and Taiwanese students.

Over the two week July holiday break, we travelled to Houston. The opportunities the girls had were amazing. In the junior programme, we were privileged to hear presentations from Nicole Stott. Nicole flew in the first shuttle into space and she can also claim that she was on the last shuttle before the programme stopped. We were also addressed by Andy Rechenberg who works for NASA in Mission Control and Hoot Gibson who was the first American commander to dock with Mir, the Russian space station. Interestingly the International Space Station (ISS) is a place where differences are put aside. Russians, Americans and a number of other nations work side by side for the greater good of humanity and space travel.

In Houston, we visited many interactive museums and displays which enabled us to get a real appreciation of the science that supports space exploration. The astronauts that visit the ISS not only conduct experiments but are an experiment themselves. Understanding how humans can maintain bone density and physical fitness in a minimal gravity environment will improve our future existence in space.

We were fortunate to be in Huntsville in the lead up to celebrate the 50th Golden Anniversary of the lunar landing. We got to observe the launch of 5000 rockets at the exact time that Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong left Earth on 16 July 1969, which was also part of the Guinness Book of Records attempt.

At Space Camp in the US Space and Rocket Centre, we experienced unique activities like spinning around in the multi-axis trainer, and bounding whilst seated in the 1/6th chair which simulates minimal gravity on the moon. One of the highlights for me was watching the students run their own Mission. Each student had a particular role either in Mission Control, on the Space Shuttle or in the International Space Station. The girls got to launch the rocket with the shuttle, dock the shuttle with the ISS, conduct experiments and activities dressed in space suits and then swap over astronauts to return them back to Earth.

Although the heat and humidity in America was draining, the girls coped very well with an action-packed couple of weeks. I hope that their interest in STEAM has been fuelled. Anything is possible and this experience has inspired them to greatness.

What impact will you make on the world?

Student Reflections:

"Overall, Space Camp was an amazing experience and I am so thankful to have been given this opportunity. Of all the amazing moments I will never forget a particular highlight was the historic mission control tour. I really enjoyed being able to see the room as it was the day they landed on the moon and it was a very inspirational moment." Claudia

"Space Camp was an incredible experience that I will never forget. I made so many new friends, visited so many amazing places and learned so many interesting things. I got to see the historic mission control, the Saturn V rocket and perform in my own mock-up mission. I definitely enhanced my knowledge of space and this trip also helped me grow as a person when learning about the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. I now have an idea of what I want to do when I’m older and I am really grateful that I took this wonderful opportunity." Tessa