Public engagement officer, Lauren Mowberry, demonstrating the Apollo 11 launch. Credit: STFC
3…2…1…lift off! World Space Week got off to a great start at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, with 180 primary school pupils taking part in a Space Explorers Day on 4 October. The United Nations organised week, which runs annually from 4-10 October, is a celebration of science and technology, with thousands of events held worldwide.
Lots of exciting activities were in store for the budding space explorers. Throughout the day, pupils got to try out various space-themed activities, including going inside a planetarium, launching rockets, studying meteorites and more.
In the darkness of the planetarium, pupils experienced the night sky up close, learning about star constellations and the stories behind them. They also learnt about how the human eye adjusts to the dark, as well as examples of how constellations have influenced culture and society.
Next up: an ‘Earth Observation Detectives’ session led by Catapult, learning about the importance of satellites and earth observation. They then attempted to create their own origami satellite models, exactly 62 years to the day since the launch of Sputnik 1, the first ever satellite.
The space explorers also learnt about the Apollo 11 mission, the astronauts involved and the pioneering computer programmer behind the mission’s success, Margaret Hamilton. The process of launching a rocket and the distance between the Earth and the Moon was demonstrated on a much smaller scale, allowing pupils to appreciate the challenges of the three-day journey. Pupils then had the chance to make and launch their very own rockets!
Pupils investigating meteorites up close. Credit: STFC
At the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source (ISIS) pupils took part in a ‘Microscopes and Meteorites’ activity. Here, they had the opportunity to examine space rocks under a microscope, before learning about how the world-leading facilities at ISIS can act as very powerful microscopes themselves.
The children had a fantastic time, with one pupil from Hagbourne School commenting “My favourite part of the day was everything we’ve done so far!”
Inspiring young people and the wider public in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) is a core value at STFC.
Find out more about what we do at all our sites by visiting: https://stfc.ukri.org/public-engagement/
The CRYRING Array for Reaction Measurements (CARME) vacuum chamber has left STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory for its new home in Germany.
A study co-funded by STFC and led by a team of researchers from Imperial College London may have uncovered why bone inflexibility can be linked to hip fracture risk.
A study co-funded by STFC and led by a team of researchers from Imperial College London may have uncovered why bone inflexibility can be linked to hip fracture risk.
A team of super scientists are divulging their super-power secrets with children across the country this Christmas.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is celebrating 10 years of being part of what is now the world’s largest space innovation network for technology start-ups. For the UK alone, companies are achieving a 92% survival rate and have collectively raised more than £75 million investment.
Daresbury Laboratory technician Alex Headspith has won the North West BT Advanced Apprentice of the Year award, in the regional round of the prestigious National Apprenticeship Awards 2020.
STFC's Daresbury Laboratory is celebrating 40 years of world-changing impact thanks to research carried out at its Synchrotron Radiation Source facility (SRS), one of the world’s most pioneering scientific inventions of its time.
Daresbury Laboratory’s popular Talking Science programme is back and this time you can join virtually from the comfort of your own home.
STFC’s Edinburgh-based Public Engagement team have been busy during the summer, working with local families as part of a city-wide initiative.
Collaboration is a touchstone of modern scientific research. STFC uses open data projects that allow researchers to work together to increase the circulation and exploitation of knowledge.
Last updated: 28 October 2019
Science and Technology Facilities Council
Switchboard: +44 (0)1793 442000
