Space Camp excitement in Northumbria
- 12th Nov 2024
This October, we worked with Lockheed Martin and Viasat to deliver a four day Space Camp for a group of Year 6 students and a group of Year 12 students in Northumbria - and we had a wonderful time!
We spoke to NSA staff member Em Truman who worked with the Year 12 group and they told us all the exciting things they got up to...
Students were given the opportunity to get hands-on with space science; conducting experiments, working on a group project and attending talks given by some great people working in the space sector.
On Monday, we opened things up with a speech from the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Northumbria University, followed by a day exploring life in space, pressure and forces. Students took part in a marshmallow pressure experiment, had a go at building and launching compressed air rockets, and conducted SWOT analysis for their ongoing project work.
Day two saw us enjoying two fantastic talks, one from Ralph “Dinz” Dinsley about enterprise, entrepreneurship and his experiences working for two companies which focus on solving space debris issues. Our second talk was from John O’Connor. and focused on space sustainability with a strong focus on satellites. Our learning sessions were focussed on orbits and forces, and we got out the Magdeburg plungers to demonstrate how we calculate the force needed to break a vacuum seal. Students also got up close with a real flight suit and took part in an astronaut training test.
On Wednesday our talks focused on orbits and observing. We had an excellent talk from Lauren Napier, a legal academic at the university who set up a simulation of the UN trying to agree on the guidelines for activities in space. Students also received a tour of the university and a careers panel with Lockheed Martin and other local employers. If this wasn't enough, the day's activities also included a game exploring the Kessler Syndrome, as well as a game to investigate survival in an emergency on the moon (which is actually part of NASA’s astronaut selection process) and plenty more!
On the final day of the camp, we came back to Earth with talks focussed on returning to Earth, along with exploring fuels and dry ice experiments. We had a wonderful careers talk from Preeya Lakhani of Lockheed Martin. Students gave their presentations on space debris and their proposed solutions to the issue in the culmination of their group projects, along with taking part in a final range of hands-on activities including comet building, building a hydrogen fuel cell car, and calculating the mind-blowing power of the sun.
Em says: "The Lockheed Martin Space Camp at Northumbria University was an action-packed week full of experiments. The students covered a huge range of topics and sunk their teeth into some of the most pressing issues facing future generations, both on Earth and in space.
I was particularly impressed with how thoroughly the students threw themselves into the camp this year, whether it was trying to get the highest score using the VR headsets, advocating for their nations in a model UN debate or building and launching rockets. The presentations the students gave at the end of the week were a real highlight and showed a huge breadth of knowledge, research and maturity."
Collina Wicks, Space Business Operations Lead & LMUK Space Early Careers Representative at Lockheed Martin UK Space, added: "This year’s Space Camp was a huge success, and all the students not only enjoyed the week – so much so that they wish it had gone on longer – but also showed a keen interest in both STEM and space. Everyone involved worked seamlessly together to make this the best experience possible for all the participants, giving them a real insight into the possibilities of being part of the UK’s space industry.
The young people particularly enjoyed hearing the speakers’ stories on how they became part of the industry and about the opportunities in space that would be open to them in the future.
The year 12 group ended the week with superb presentations, showing they had both a passion and understanding of the subject. Feedback from the year 6s showed how much they’d enjoyed the new experience of the hands-on elements of the teaching sessions. It was personally really gratifying to see how the young people all embraced all the activities throughout the week and left feeling really excited about future careers in space. I can’t wait for our next collaboration."
A massive thanks to all who attended and supported the event!
If you're a secondary teacher who is interested in bringing a group to a Space Camp, we have just one free Camp left with spaces in our Space to Learn Programme. Aimed at local students, the event takes place next February at the University of Preston. Learn more here.